Not Enough Time
by LinaNamiStar
Summary: Sequel to Didn't Know I Love You So Much. Things become more complicated and a start of something more for our fellow group staying in the Wallace household. Who died and what would you do if the one you loved was killed? SxG LxOC PxOC
1. Chapter 1

**A/N**: Thank you to all of those who read and/or reviewed my prequel. Much thanks to you all. I do apologize for not updating for a very long while. I'm sharing the computer, and I wasn't able to type for a while. It's hectic, I tell you. Well, now that I finally updated. I hope you all will like it. Yeah, this chapter is a bit sappy. Thankfully, there is a extra bonus at the end. I hope it makes up for it. If not, I do apologize beforehand. Well, happy reading! Review if you like. **Disclaimer**: I do not own Repo! The Genetic Opera, the plot, characters, and everything of its original. I only own what I made up myself.

Chapter One

Shilo was nervous. Of course, she would. Not only there was a repo man, she also had a child assassin and baby triplets in her house. Any normal human being would be nervous with two of three inside her house. Sanitarium Island had issues, but this was nothing she would ever expect in her life. Shilo Wallace was just a normal person. Well, as normal as normal could be. She did not want trouble. She just wanted to live and be useful to her children. Now, she was in too deep into trouble that she was more afraid for her children than herself.

Mia softly patted Shilo's shoulder, making Shilo jump a bit from getting out of her thoughts. She looked up to meet Mia's eyes and gave her a false smile. It wouldn't do any good if she worried anyone else. But of course, Mia could see through her. Shilo was somewhat like an open book.

"Calm down, Shilo. Nothing is going to happen when you have Lina and me here. And of course, there's your boyfriend by your side. I also assume the Largo brothers would protect you as well," Mia told her. Shilo sighed before biting her lower lip. She felt too anxious to calm down.

"It's hard not to get nervous. I'm sorry for whining but, there's an unconscious Repo Man in my house as well as a child assassin. And on top of that, there are triplets needed taking care of. Thankfully, the baby triplets are asleep. I don't know how to take care of babies," Shilo said quietly. She fidgeted in her seat, feeling not relaxed. Shilo didn't like to whine, but the thought of the three listed was enough to put her on the edge out of her comfort zone, which she worked hard to maintain.

"I will take care of the triplets while Lina takes care of the child assassin. I'm sure the Repo Man won't be staying long. We will make sure of it," Mia said without any worry written on her face, "You don't have to concern yourself with them." Her look was of pure business. The light expression she used to have disappeared to that of her usual self. Shilo gave a look of concern towards her.

"Are you sure, Mia? I know I was complaining, but it doesn't mean I can't help out. After all, I am helping out with the case," Shilo said. Mia frowned and then sighed.

"Actually, Shilo..." Mia made a small pause as if the news would make Shilo unhappy. "Lina and I talked it out, and we found it better not to involve you with the case even though the case may involve you. Instead, we will be here protecting you. You will have no part of the case whatsoever. From what has occurred, your life is in more danger being involved."

"What?" Shilo shouted, shocked at what Mia was telling her. "But you can't! We're like the three musketeers, and you and Lina have done so much for me. I can't just sit here and do nothing. Since I'm already involved, I might as well see it through the end."

"No, Shilo," Mia told her, unfazed. "Think of the children. Their lives depend on you. This is a dangerous situation, and something like this cannot involve you."

"No, Mia," Shilo started, surprised at her own defiance towards her friend. "I knew from the start that signing up for this will be dangerous, and I know I may be in danger because of it. I already knew and I already made precautions just in case anything happens to me. The children are in safe hands. You don't have to worry about me."

Mia looked at her with an analytical eye, almost shocked as well at what she had said. If it was true, Shilo had truly matured over the years, and she wondered what safety measures Shilo had made for the children. She did not question Shilo was smart, but she was also an idiot for not getting away from danger.

"Are you sure, Shilo?" Mia simply asked. She will always ask other questions later. It won't be too late for Shilo to escape, not when she was there to protect the young woman before her.

Shilo nodded confidently with a smile. All thoughts of the newcomers did not worry her anymore. She had a reason and a duty now to worry about them. The real work starts when things started getting hectic. But then again, Shilo could never find normalcy in Sanitarium Island where things are headed.

Meanwhile, Lina sat in front of the child assassin, who was struggling against the rope tied around him and the chair he sat on. Lina merely smirked at her proud work. She was always good at tying a tight knot. Nobody could ever escape from her binds unless they cut it. Luckily, she took all of the weapons on the boy when he was still unconscious as did the Repo Man as well. She had good reason too as she learned from experience the dangers of allowing your enemy to keep a weapon on him. For now, the Largos became harmless.

She sighed once again as the boy continued to struggle. If he continued any further, he would have rope burn. Lina had to admit, the child had vigor for him to struggle against her binds for two hours. But of course, he rested here and there because he used a quite bit of energy from it.

"Sit still, Kid. You aren't going anywhere," Lina told him. The boy stopped and glared at her with his green eyes. She chuckled and started ruffling his hair. The boy leaned his head back and started craning his neck to bite at her. Lina knew what he wanted to do and pulled her arm back.

"Feisty, aren't you?" Lina asked.

The boy made an audible noise, yet he spoke no words. She wondered about him and wondered if the boy could not talk. She was sure the child would spout some colorful language at her. Who wouldn't when you are held against your own will and wanted to break free? She sighed and sat down back to her chair before looking at the boy seriously. The child stopped struggling and started to observe her.

"_Ah, I see. Trying to get through my mind by observing me carefully, huh?" _Lina thought before she let out a smirk. "_Challenging me, eh? Well, I am a little like an open book. I'm not really good at pretenses anyways."_

The boy was startled at the sudden smug look Lina had on her face. The child growled in anger at his enemy. He would have killed her now if glares could kill.

"How old are you?" She asked, now trying to strike a conversation to see whether he can speak or not. The boy's lips turned into a thin line as if the question pained him. Immediately, Lina changed the subject. She did not want the child to get emotional.

"If you don't like that question then I will change it. What's your name?" She asked. The boy's eyes darkened, telling her that he was reluctant to answer any of her questions. She shrugged and crossed her arms. She continued to wonder if he really couldn't speak. If that was the case, she would not be able to get any answers either way. Fortunately though, the boy could understand her as well as knowing there must be a way for him to communicate if he was to stay alive.

"Do you remember your parents?" She asked, knowing the subject may be touchy to the boy. As a matter of fact, he reacted to it as his whole body tensed up before his head lowered so Lina could not see his expression. Lina sighed and nodded. It had at least answered one question. He was an orphan.

As for the Repo Man, he was still lying unconscious on the living room couch. Luigi and Pavi Largo were quite surprised to see a Repo Man being injured. This caused the brothers to understand what may have happened to the dead Repo Men. They were being killed off on purpose, not that they didn't notice but it did confirm what was happening. They had to find a way to stop the massacre. It was bad business for the Largos if they weren't able to have enough Repo Men to repossess the organs.

"What the fuck? So he was injured by a fucking kid?" asked Luigi.

Pavi sighed and shrugged.

"It seems so, brother. We have to report this problem to our darling sister," Pavi answered. Luigi growled.

"No shit, Sherlock," Luigi answered. Graverobber let out a sigh but observed the brothers in interest. These Largos were monsters, but they seem okay in his book as long as nobody pissed him off, which Lina did plenty for everyone in the house with an occasional kid asking the wrong question.

"What if he wakes up? What are you guys going to do?" Graverobber asked after he watched the boys arguing like always over nothing.

Both of them seemed to be reluctant in calling their sister. Graverobber shivered at the thought of Amber Sweet. Not too long ago, maybe a few days back, he had met up with her while selling street Zydrate. Why would she continue to come to him was a wonder to Graverobber? She had all the clean Zydrate she wanted, yet she continued to go to him to get it.

Maybe, he thought, clean Zydrate wasn't strong enough or he was too handsome for her to turn away from. Either those two or maybe Amber Sweet wanted a cheaper variety. After all, the Zydrate use of GeneCo quality is expensive. If Amber Sweet took it for herself, she would not only lose money, but her brothers would have her throat for _stealing_ from GeneCo. Money means everything to the Largos, and a penny less means a raging Largo. Street Zydrate was much cheaper and there were other ways to pay as well.

"Well, we'll just kick him out of the house," Luigi answered his question as if it was the obvious thing to do. Graverobber was taken away from his thoughts by then. "Even if they are fucking near death, it doesn't mean they should stop working."

"You speak like a true Largo," said Lina after she had walked inside the living room while yawning as she did so.

"Aren't you supposed to be looking after the child assassin? Why are you here?" Luigi asked. Lina let out a sigh.

"I put him to sleep," Lina said with ease. She sat down on the nearest couch and crossed her arms. "I'm not letting you guys take the boy."

Luigi and Pavi looked at her as if she was crazy. On the other hand, she seemed very calm and serious. Something about her being like that felt dangerous to the brothers. But then again, Pavi seemed rather amused.

"And why the fuck not?" Luigi asked after he was out of his initial shock.

"Because he's a kid," Lina stated simply, "You aren't touching him, and I won't give him up without a fight. Unless you want hell to come, you better not try to touch the boy."

"You seem rather smitten with the boy, bella?" Pavi asked before he crossed his arms and looked over at her with a gleam of interest in his eyes.

She stood up and stared straight at Pavi for a moment. She did not answer his question before she just turned around and walked away. Pavi was shocked at her doing something like that. By then, Shilo and Mia came to the living room after they passed Lina. None of the girls talked to each other. Lina went back to looking after the child assassin. Shilo and Mia looked over at each other for a second before Shilo sighed. Both girls sat on the couch and sat there looking at the Largos. Shilo turned to look at Graverobber for a second. A frown had been evident on her face when she did before turning back to the Largos.

"We've got to tell you some things," Shilo said. A long pause soon came afterwards. Mia's eyes stared straight at Luigi, her expression soon became soft yet it seemed regretful.

Luigi saw her expression and wondered what the heck is going on to make her look at him like that. It was as if she wanted to break it off with him, not that they admitted to each other of their feelings yet. It still hurt though. He hoped it wasn't, and he was sure as hell wasn't going to let her off if she did.

"It's about the rebellion. And for some reason, I am in the middle of this," Shilo started.

Luigi and Pavi looked at her with a confused look. Their stay in the Wallace household was to find out if Shilo Wallace had any part of the rebellion and if she was going to steal GeneCo away from them. They were pretty shocked that they were willing to speak about it. But then again, their reason to stay would also be over.

Shilo wasn't sure where to start after that. Thankfully, Mia continued for her. Mia almost felt reluctant, but she wouldn't show it. For Shilo, all of it must come to light.

"To start off, Shilo had nothing to do with the formation of a rebellion, but she did get an anonymous letter before the rebellion started. It had stated that when the time comes she would represent the rebellion against GeneCo whether she wanted to or not. When Lina and I saw it, we knew something would happen. Soon after, we heard a riot had started and news of a rebellion had been formed," Mia said. She left the other information about them being in a detective agency as well as following up in the cases of the killing of Repo Men.

By then, Shilo had finally had the voice to speak up.

"I do not intend to be with the rebellion. If your reason for staying here is for that reason, you already have your answers. There is no need for you guys to stay here. Rave, you should leave too before you get involved," Shilo told them. Graverobber was startled at her telling him that. He thought of escaping and leaving her behind when there was an unconscious Repo Man and a child assassin, but Graverobber cursed and stayed. He's not going to leave his woman any time soon. As for Luigi and Pavi, they froze. They had their answers, but they didn't want to leave this soon even though it had been a month and a half that they stayed. It was the longest they stayed in a peasant's house.

"What the fuck are you talking about, Wallace? The reason we are fucking staying is because of our behavior. Our fucking sister just wants us to suffer by making us stay here for three months," Luigi told her with crossed arms with a scowling face. Mia saw through the lie; she knew Luigi wanted to stay for a little while longer with them by making that excuse.

Pavi felt the same as he feigned ignorance to their sudden reason in speaking of the subject.

"The Pavi is pretty surprised that the bellas would speak about the rebellion, but brother is right. We never said we stayed here to find out if Shilo had any role in the rebellion. The contract was to let us stay here because of our behavior," Pavi stated with a large smile on his face.

Unknown to them, Lina was hiding beyond the wall of the living room. After Shilo and Mia went into the living room, she returned to listen in on them. She could hear their conversation and smiled. She let out a sigh and shook her head before she went upstairs to check up on the child assassin.

* * *

><p>Extra Bonus: The Reason for Luigi's Anger<p>

Luigi stared blankly in Shilo's living room, thinking back to the start of his anger issues and the reasons for his stabbing spree every time he felt the need to stab or kill.

It happened a little after Shilo was born and Nathan had become a Repo Man for life after Marni's death. It so happened at that time, he became who he is today. He watched as his father complimented on Nathan's good work at repossessing and patting him on the back. He seemed more caring towards Nathan than Rotti did with his children. But there was a time Luigi heard the conversation between Rotti and Nathan.

"_I'm becoming a monster. I can't do this anymore. I don't want Shilo knowing she is living with a monster," Nathan told Rotti in the hallway towards the Repo men's quarters. Rotti let out a sigh before asking Nathan to sit down. Nathan did as he was told and sat down at his desk._

"_You already made a contract, Nathan. Shilo already lost her mother; do you want her to lose her father as well?" Rotti asked him, faking kindness on his expression. Nathan looked hesitant before Rotti let out another sigh. He leaned over against Nathan's desk, so he would be closer to Nathan. "Nathan, wouldn't you rather reveal your monster as a Repo Man than being Nathan, the father? What if you accidentally cause harm to Shilo? I know about your pent up anger and frustrations inside of you; and of course…" Rotti chuckled as if the thought was humorous. "You don't want such emotions explode onto Shilo, do you?"_

_Nathan froze at the statement and he couldn't deny the fact that he has a lot of anger and frustrations inside of him ever since Marni died. Rotti hid a smirk when Nathan took the bait._

"_And don't you know? Anger makes a person stronger. Make them more powerful. With your anger as a Repo Man, you can protect Shilo. With anger, people will fear you. No one will dare try to harm you or your daughter. And of course, you have the highest position in which no one will dare take away from you. And don't worry about your secret, I will make sure Shilo and the commoners will never know you are a Repo Man," Rotti explained._

_Luigi froze at the statement and so did Nathan. Both thought about what he said, and there was a ringing in their minds that took the statements to heart. When Luigi heard of it, he thought surely this will help him become a successor. And from watching Nathan getting praised daily for his work in repossessing and how his father was pleased at the bloody work, Luigi thought this was the way to get his father's praise and most importantly, his love. Luigi changed and expressed his anger more. He put fear into his subordinates after he stabbed someone for getting his coffee wrong. His father was right. When you put fear into people with anger, you become powerful. Rotti never knew Luigi took his statement to heart. And of course, Rotti thought it was a phase until Luigi continued to stab one after another for a whole month._

_Rotti never knew Luigi started to slowly become a monster like Rotti and Nathan. Slowly, Luigi started getting used to this new life of his and found it more fulfilling than his old personality. Sadly, Luigi never knew Rotti started to slowly see him as a vulture. A vermin. A disgust in his eyes. Luigi never knew what his father thought of him until Rotti announced the world to see before his demise._

Luigi let out a scowl at the memory. Luigi didn't realize his father's true intentions (in making Nathan suffer as much as possible) until it was too late. He was too used to the lifestyle, and he liked it too much to change. If Rotti hadn't tricked Nathan then maybe Luigi wouldn't be like who he is today.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N**: Thank you to **Evelyn**, **MotherGothelFan1**, **The Nobody Prince**, and **Emoen** for the reviews. These reviews are much appreciated because you guys help me to make this story. I hope you guys like the extra bonus last chapter. Now, the extra bonus in this chapter is about Pavi. I was a little hesitant in wanting to post the extra bonus because there was some content not for children and a little on the mature side. I wasn't sure if I should rate my story mature as the story itself isn't as mature as this extra bonus, but I decided to post it anyways. Hope you guys like it. Hm... I think these extra bonuses are rather more exciting than the story itself. ^-^. **Warning! **Mentions of incest in extra bonus. If you do not like it, please do not read the extra bonus. Other than that, happy reading!

Chapter Two

The cries of the baby triplets made it hard for the adults to sleep. As for the children, they slept peacefully as if nothing could wake them. Graverobber, Pavi, and Luigi groaned from frustration amd irritation. Graverobber had just finished working and he wanted to have some type of peaceful slumber, but it was hard. Luigi hated to be woken up in the middle of the night to hear the loud wails of babies. It was painful to the ears as well. Pavi did not want to be woken up after he was starting to sleep. He needed his beauty sleep to maintain his beautiful face. Things got more hectic when Lina suddenly bumped into the living room table and fell over hitting her head on the table. She groaned in pain and Pavi instantly went to her.

"Is the bella okay?" Pavi asked worriedly. Lina rubbed the bruise on her head and nodded.

"Being groggy makes it hard to see where I'm going," Lina explained, "Don't worry."

Pavi nodded and helped her up.

"Where is the bella going?" Pavi asked.

"Yeah, where the hell are you going?" Luigi asked.

"Unless, you want to help me pacify the children, you'd better shut it, loud mouth," Lina growled lowly. Luigi made a face and kept quiet. "You guys go back to sleep. I'll make sure to soothe them to sleep so you all could rest."

"Would the bella need help?" Pavi asked. Lina looked at him quizzically. Pavi smiled and continued, "The Pavi has taken care of his baby sister when she was a baby herself."

"Yeah, that's why that Carmela grew up to be a slut. It's all because of him taking care of her. She was always a crybaby and she still is," Luigi said, making his usual scowling face.

"Brother, stop it," Pavi said quietly. Lina took his hand and he looked up at her with a surprised expression. Luigi and Graverobber didn't seem to really care, maybe thinking that it wasn't anything to be fussed about. But to Pavi, it was something much more. He had never really seen her willingly hold his hand like this before.

"_The bella is holding the Pavi's hand!_" Pavi thought excitedly.

"Your sister made a choice to become who she is, so it doesn't mean it was necessarily your fault for her to become who she is. Anyways, I need as much help as I can. C'mon," she told him as she gestured her head towards the entrance of the living room. She dragged him soon afterwards. It made Pavi's heart flutter as she spoke to him in such a caring way.

Luigi watched them leave and was surprised to hear what Lina said. In a way, Luigi understood what she said. But Luigi being Luigi, he always had to be right. He huffed and lied back down on the couch, mumbling curses at the peasants and how ungrateful they are. As for Graverobber, he was already dozing off by that time.

There was a silence between Lina and Pavi as they walked together upstairs. Pavi stared at her back. Something about her back seemed to make Pavi want to hug her from behind. He also had in mind that their hands were still intertwined with each other while going upstairs. It soothed Pavi to feel her touch.

Ever since he had his face, she no longer massaged him like she always did when he had a nightmare. She didn't make hot milk for him either. In her stead, Mia tried to massage him or make him hot milk to ease his nightmares. But for some reason, it didn't feel quite right. It didn't soothe him or made him sleep any easier. It just made Pavi feel... nothing. He disliked that feeling. The feeling of emptiness. He tried so many times to fill it by going out and getting laid. It helped a bit but it wasn't enough to fill him. But right now, the emptiness seemed to have been filled by half. It was faster than being laid, which to Pavi, was quite shocking. Just her touch made him feel that way. It was certainly an odd thing.

When they got to the triplets, they saw Mia trying to coax the babies with toys Graverobber found. They were old, but they were still good to use. Shilo and Mia made sure they were clean and sanitized before using them on the babies. Mia looked up at them before nodding at them. Lina understood before dragging Pavi again.

"We each take a baby and try to coax them," Mia said quietly.

Lina nodded before letting go of Pavi's hand. Pavi frowned as she did so. The void returned once more but immediately rid of it when Lina held a baby towards him. He took the child with ease and held the child correctly in his arms. It was a rather rare sight for anybody on Sanitarium Island to hold a baby correctly, but Lina was more shocked that he could handle the baby.

Just as the baby was held by Pavi, he or she stopped crying. It amazed Lina for a little bit before she had to take care of her own baby by coaxing it to sleep with quiet whispers of dreams. Mia had taken control of her babe by holding the child while it listened to her steady heartbeat. The baby slept soundly after that. It took some effort on Lina's part before the child slept peacefully. With all three babes asleep, they carefully placed the babies in the crib. They were beautiful children. Lina had hoped this new generation would see a better future than the current standing of Sanitarium Island.

Mia nodded at them gratefully before Lina and Pavi made their way out of the room. They closed the door behind them quietly and let out a sigh of relief. Lina then looked at him and smiled before patting softly behind Pavi's back.

"You did a good job there, face-stealer. I'm sure you will make a good father if you got rid of your wicked ways," Lina told him.

Pavi let out a small smile, and it rather hurt him in some way. He usually didn't mind, but the thought or mention of the word "father" had gotten to him. Pavi knew he could never be a father, and there was no child of his own to call him that one word. But of course, the reason is that he didn't want to be a father, and the women he had laid with would either abort the child because none of them could handle being a mother or they were infertile. Most of them being Genterns, none of them could ever let their slim bodies become fattened by a child growing inside them. After all, only slim beauties are allowed to become Genterns.

"Will the bella go back to sleep downstairs?" Pavi asked. Lina sighed and answered a simple "no". Pavi frowned.

"I've got to check up on that boy. It's not good to not keep an eye on him for too long. See you, face-stealer," Lina told him before she walked away.

Pavi watched as she disappeared to one of the rooms in the Wallace household. When she was no longer there, Pavi felt the void returning. He couldn't let this go on any longer. But for now, he was going to get some beauty sleep. After all, a Largo must look his best.

Morning came too quickly for the adults. Shilo had woken herself up early enough to find herself tired, aching, and groggy. Knowing that she needed to make breakfast, she went downstairs and into the kitchen to find Lina and Mia were already up and feeding the triplets. Shilo was shocked, not because Mia woke up earlier than her but Lina was up and early with some dark circles around her eyes and a small bruise on her face.

"Hey," Lina replied weakly before returning her attention to one of the babies.

"She's just tired. She had only a few minutes of sleep before the triplets woke her up and then she went on to check up on the boy. She had to wrestle with the boy since he broke free. It seemed that he dislocated something on his body and broke free from there. Lina handled it quite well though. She only had a few scratches, a punch on the face, and a punch in the gut," Mia explained with a rather amused face.

Lina glared at her for a second and turned back to burping the child after he had been well fed. It seemed two of the triplets were girls while one was a boy. She had been unfortunate to pick the only boy. When she had changed the diaper once, he had peed on her like those humorous shows once did to make people laugh. Oh, how much Mia really tried to control her giggles from escaping that day. It actually happened three times before. The boy would cry, Lina would check, and then the liquid suddenly escaped the boy and onto Lina's clothes. But every time she would try to pick a girl, she would get him. She knew Mia had something to do with it.

"So what happened to the child assassin after that?" Shilo asked. Lina shrugged.

"I tightened the knot further to make sure there aren't any gaps for him to escape as well as blindfolding him and hanging him up. No one messes with me and gets away with it," Lina told them before wiping away the drool on the baby boy. Shilo winced as she imagined it.

"Don't you think it's kind of cruel to do that?" Shilo asked another.

Lina rolled her eyes and said, "A kid like that can't be disciplined with just minor punishments. Those punishments are quite minor to him anyways. At most, assassins like us get punished by prolonging our suffering through tortures. The least punishment were given is a quick death."

Shilo frowned at that, but Lina just patted her shoulders to not worry.

"Thankfully, that boy found us. He should be in safe hands for now. We destroyed the tracking device before we took him home, so there are no worries of anyone tailing him. All thanks to Pierre's machinery that destroys all tracking devices by overloading it and burning it out. Found it near a tooth of his, but he is unharmed from it," Lina explained.

Shilo nodded, but she still felt unsettled. Lina stopped rocking the babe and set the boy on one of those baby chairs. She sat down on the table and laid her feet on the table.

"Don't worry about it. He's in good hands with me around," Lina told her with a smirk and a wink, "After all, I am likable."

Shilo rolled her eyes before she smiled and started humming a tune before working on breakfast. But as she hummed, the triplets started to giggle. Amazed, Lina and Mia turned and stare at Shilo. When she felt them stare, she turned around and gave them a puzzled look.

"What?" Shilo asked. The triplets stopped giggling when Shilo stopped humming.

"Hum a song, Shilo," Lina told her. Shilo stared for a moment and started to hum a Blind Mag song. The triplets started giggling again and their hands started trying to reach something up in the sky.

Lina and Mia looked at each other for a moment before a smirk came up on both of their faces. They turned to Shilo and Shilo stopped. She was worried when they were smirking. She knew they knew something or planning something. Just as she stopped, the triplets started to move restlessly and one of the baby girls looked ready to cry.

"Shilo, you are going to hum to the babes at night," Lina told her, "I can finally get a bit of rest."

Confused and startled at the sudden demand, she stood there as if she was a deer staring at the headlights. Mia gave her a comforting pat on the back.

"You did say you want to help," Mia started, "It will help us if you just hummed to the triplets at night, so we could at least get some sleep."

Shilo froze. It meant that she was going to lose sleep. She sighed and nodded, not being able to object. Lina sat up and made a peace sign towards Mia and Mia made an 'okay' sign in reply. Shilo didn't see their gestures, but she felt them. She sighed once again and prepared breakfast again.

The silence was nowhere near casual. Being up most of the night was not something any of the guys could handle. The girls were finally awake from their tiredness when everyone started to get their breakfast.

"Are you guys not hungry?" Shilo asked as she noticed the three guys picking at their food. The guys looked up at her with tired looks.

"Do I look like eating?" Luigi growled, "Those babies won't shut their trap."

"The Pavi has no energy to eat," Pavi said soon after.

Graverobber stopped picking at it and started eating. He sighed, gesturing he was tired but he was going to eat anyways.

"Stop fussing and just eat. You guys need some energy to go out," Lina told them. The guys looked at her quizically. She rolled her eyes when they stared at her. "You guys didn't expect to not help around, did you?"

* * *

><p>Extra Bonus: The Reason for Pavi to Steal Faces<p>

He was told at a very young age that he looked beautiful. His mother was quite proud of his son, but his mother wanted him to be more beautiful than he already is. His mother looked up at him and with both hands, grasped Pavi's face.

"You must remember Paviche; you must always be beautiful in order for you to succeed your father. Remember. You can't let Luigi take over, understand?" His mother told him. Pavi, by that time, was a teen. He nodded as he wasn't one to speak much because of his accent. Even as he looked beautiful, people found his accent too amusing.

"Yes, madre. Paviche will remember," Pavi told her quietly.

His mother had already reserved a surgery for Pavi to make his face into perfection. Unknown to them, the surgery was the change that destroyed who Pavi once was. There was something wrong with his surgery that destroyed his face. The doctors didn't know what may have happened; all they knew was that they did the surgery perfectly. The main doctor had to stop the inflammation from going any further by sucking out what may have poisoned his face. It was still a mystery to what may have happened to Pavi's face.

When he came home with a bandaged face, his mother cried for his son. Rotti even blamed her for what had happened to Paviche's face, wondering why his wife would ever want her son to have surgery. Like the saying, "if it isn't broken, don't fix it." Things turned worse for Paviche when the bandages came off. His mother let out an ear-piercing scream as he saw how horrible his face looked. His brother and his father looked at him with horror and disgust. Paviche Largo had to turn away. Just as everyone left him alone, Pavi looked in the mirror. To his horror, he is faced with nothing but a monster. He cried out the most shrilling cry anybody could ever muster and broke the bathroom mirror with his fist. He could feel the pain on the back of his hand but the pain in his heart was much more powerful.

Paviche could hear pounding and his name being called outside his door, but he ignored it. He couldn't face anyone, not like he is. He couldn't possibly be able to live like this. He saw a piece of the broken mirror. He picked it up and stared at it. He was about to plunge the sharp edge of the mirror to his neck but stopped himself. He was afraid. He was afraid to die. He let go of it and cried again. He pulled his legs together and he hugged his legs to his chest.

He could never forget the looks his family gave him. The horror in their eyes as they looked at his terrible face was unforgettable. The once sad eyes turned into complete anger. If they viewed Paviche Largo as a monster, he will turn himself into a monster. But of course, he wasn't going to be just any monster; he was going to be the monster that everyone loves.

He learned the art of seduction from his school by the popular boys. He observed them quite a bit, and he tested it to see if it works. He was wearing a mask at the time, not wanting to scare anyone off. When he found out the techniques that worked, he used it to his advantage. He soon learned further from men older than him and eventually his father. It took time, but he managed to make a name for himself. Though he still had his accent, Pavi was known for his sweet words and his tongue was quite... famous as well. Sweet talking and being a Largo gave him many girls. He wasn't able to get laid just yet because those darn girls always took his mask off before they wanted to give him their bodies. And of course, the moment they laid eyes on his monstrous face they ran as if it was the only option. He needed to find a way to prevent his face from being uncovered, but how?

Not long after, his father had asked him if he wanted to get a new face. The procedure was going to be the same, but this time he could become beautiful like he always wanted. His father would make sure of it. Even though it sounded tempting, Pavi didn't want it. He didn't want to feel the burning sensation as his face turned into what it was now. He couldn't go through the pain or the stares that haunted him again.

It wasn't long before Rotti had been angry with Paviche's mother. Their arguments were often. And from there, the arguments soon turned physical, mostly his mother beating his father with her fists. It didn't hurt much since Paviche's mother was a delicate woman. Age had slowly sapped her of her mother's energy. She wasn't as beautiful as before she married to Rotti.

Things turned dangerously terrible when one night Pavi watched as his mother had been laid with another man. He watched the sickening scene, yet his mother and the unknown man did not notice as their lust had overpowered all their senses. Pavi watched the scene till the bitter end. By the time they noticed, they were too late. Pavi watched emptily and ran out of the room. His mother. His beautiful mother turned into something disgusting.

_Love does not exist._

Pavi could only manage to conclude as he watched the days pass with his father and mother started to distance themselves. Paviche's mother begged his son to help her. Pavi could only smile and help the woman begging before him. It was then he did something more disgusting than his mother cheating on his father. He had slept with his mother. Though forbidden, it felt good. He never knew being laid could make him feel this good. His mother needed her desires to be met just as well with his desires being fulfilled. His father made sure his mother did not sleep with strange men ever again or else hell was brought upon the men, but his father never would have known his son will be the one to fulfill his mother's desires. Days passed with their forbidden love-making, but nobody would know of their forbidden secret. Paviche would make sure of it because Pavi, after all, was not what he used to be.

Sadly, things and people never last. Paviche lost his mother in his senior year of high school. It was sudden, but his mother died due to a sudden disease after a few days of her being on the headlines of the Metro Gazette. It listed the many men his mother had slept with behind Rotti's back. Rotti was angry of course for a day, but he was deadly calm after that. He was all joy and Pavi's mother was suddenly treated rather well before she died. But of course, nobody would ever notice the deadly grin on Rotti's face.

And for some reason, Paviche could not cry when his mother died. He loved his mother. He truly did. He would miss her and their love-making. It was too bad he wouldn't get laid. He stared at her lifeless body on a metal table. He touched his mother's face. Her face was cool but it was so smooth. His face used to feel smooth. He touched his face to feel the disgusting marks. He stopped and stared at his mother again.

_You must remember Paviche; you must always be beautiful in order for you to succeed your father._

He remembered his mother's words and a thought suddenly appeared in his mind.

"Madre, you are so beautiful. Let me take something of yours that Pavi would always remember you by. The Pavi will also keep his promise. The Pavi will become beautiful and succeed father. Do not worry for the Pavi because the Pavi will succeed his duty," Pavi whispered to his mother. A smile soon placed his lips. His first face. The Pavi was going to be beautiful once again.

Pavi's obssession with beauty slowly overtook him. He needed to have a weekly or monthly change of his faces. And of course, each face was as beautiful as the next. But of all the faces, none could ever match his mother's.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N**: Thanks to **MotherGothelFan1**, **XxlittlexwitchxX**, **UroborosTyrant**, and **Emoen** for the lovely reviews. I'm glad you guys like the bonus extra from last chapter. I tried to make it as best as I could to make Pavi's story believable, but who knows? It could happen in that way. Other than that, if there are any possible bonus extras you would like to me to write, I would be glad to write it, but I cannot guarantee I would write it though. Also, I was thinking of another sequel for this, but I think the story would start to drag a lot if I did that. Thankfully, I decided not to go for another sequel after much debate in my mind. And anyways, I think I've got nine other stories I need to finish. Other than that, happy reading! Hope you like this chappie. It's rushed, so it might not interest you. At first, I wanted to make the shopping scene longer, but I found it pointless. I'm sure you guys can imagine how the guys would shop anyways. There's some small Graverobber and Shilo fluff at the end. I know you guys would like that. I'm such a genius (I'm kidding guys!). **Rant (please ignore if you don't like to read rants from here on)**: (Oh my, I made a sad face) I know opinions sometimes matter and sometimes don't, but please don't message me telling my story is boring or if it is not to your taste. I'm sure people can act mature enough and just ignore the story if that is the way the person feels. I'm not forcing you to read it, and I know for sure I don't have that right. I do apologize if I sound mean, but I deserve to rant once in a while. Whew, now that I've got that off my chest, have fun reading.

Chapter Three

The shopping district was full of people (Luigi would prefer to call them peasants, thank you very much). Luigi, Graverobber, and Pavi were forced to go out to buy things on the shopping list the girls made together. Nate had went along because he was dragged along in the spur of the moment. The list contained mostly of items for the triplets and the child assassin along with other things like food. The guys weren't too happy about it since shopping was always meant to be for girls. But for some reason, the guys seemed to be better at shopping than the girls. They found the stuff without any difficulty, and it didn't take that much time for them to buy the long list of items they wanted. Usually, the shopping district doesn't bargain, but they got the things for free (maybe because two of them were Largos or because Luigi threatened the vendor or cashier). When they were done, they thought they would be able to go home without any difficulty since so far nothing happened.

They guessed wrong.

Just as they got all their groceries and other things inside the Largo's long limo while the other things that were far too big for the limo were sent through delivery, one of the Genterns came up to Luigi and Pavi with a message.

"Mr. Luigi Largo and Pavi, I've got a message from Amber Sweet. She told me to tell you both that you guys can go home now," the Gentern said. Luigi and Pavi were evidently shocked by the news for a moment before Luigi growled and pulled out a knife from out of his pants.

"What did you fucking say?" Luigi asked, though it was much more of threatening her to run away or else he would stab her. The Gentern shrieked and started on her heels to get away from him. Luigi thought he would kill her when he got back. He remembered her face, and he was surely going to get her. Just as he thought this, Luigi seemed to have thought of something.

"What are you guys going to do?" Graverobber asked, curious to see what would happen next. He was always the kind that likes to know things.

"What the fuck do you mean? Do what? We already finished our shopping, so all we need to do is go _home_ like our fucking slut of a sister told us to do," Luigi answered. Pavi's shocked expression turned even more shocked by looking at his brother.

"You mean..." Pavi started but Luigi cut him off.

"Yes, you fucking idiot. We're going _home_," Luigi told him as he put an emphasis on the word "home" once again. He smirked at his brother and Pavi smirked in return.

"Yes, brother. Let's go _home_," Pavi said.

Graverobber had a suspicion that the Largo brothers weren't talking about the house the Largos were living in before they came to the Wallace house. Nate was the only one who was rather lost at all the emphasis and hints made between the brothers.

Luigi and Pavi then turned to Graverobber and Nate. Luigi had a threatening look on his face while Pavi's was a mystery. The young brother was always hard to figure out since his expressions were always hidden behind a mask; yet even as he wore a face that acted like a real one, it acted like a mask as well. Among the two, Pavi was the hardest to decipher but there were ways to figure him out. One has just got to squint and know.

"You two better not tell anyone about this or else..." Luigi paused and let Graverobber and Nate imagine what would happen. Graverobber put his hands up in surrender and Nate continued to look confused.

"I guess, but I am a little confused," Nate admitted. Pavi laid a hand on the boy's shoulder and sighed.

"It is better off if Nate did not know," Pavi said.

By that time, they went into the limo and headed back to Shilo's house. Silence filled the air among the men. It was quite tense as the guys were rather uncomfortable to be around each other. Luigi showed his dissatisfaction the most while Pavi seemed to have a never ending smile on his face, making it hard to figure what he was really feeling. Graverobber looked away and found looking outside seemed more interesting. Whistling, by now, seemed rather nice to do, but he didn't dare with Luigi's explosive attitude. Nate was rather twirling his thumbs around each other restlessly. He had to remind himself not to shop around the guys ever again.

"Eat," Lina ordered to the child assassin as she got a forkful of what seemed to be some sort of pasta. It had been a week since the child and the triplets stayed. The Repo Man was still unconscious and under survellience by the Largo brothers.

The child glared at her for a moment before opening his mouth. Lina smiled and fed him. As he ate finished, Lina patted the top of the boy's head even though she knew he hated it. She always loved to tease people, and the child assassin was no exception. Lina knew he needed some sort of normalcy in his life, and she tried her best to show it by her actions. She knew very well when an assassin is caught, the duty of the assassin was to kill himself or herself. Lina wasn't going to give him that chance because she was going to help him like her brother helped her but in her own way.

Lina pulled the chair closer to the boy, so their legs almost touched. She stared straight at him and said nothing. The child gave her a quizzical look before he started observing her again. Lina smiled before she crossed her legs soon after. The way she smiled made him feel irritated. The way she stared at him irritated even more. She seemed to enjoy making him angry, yet he tried to keep his cool. In his training, he learned not to show emotions, but it was hard. He had never really learned to grasp his control over his emotions.

Even though he hated her, he somewhat listened to her. He opened his mouth and Lina readily fed him. The child couldn't believe he was eating something good. And of course, his expression showed how much he loved it. His eyes seemed to sparkle at the taste of the food and he licked his lips to show he wanted to eat some more. Lina held a smirk and continued to feed the boy. Because his full attention was on the food, he would never notice her smirk.

After she had fed him finished, she placed the bowl and utensil near the exit before sitting down in front of him again. Lina patted his shoulder and he looked up at her warily. He was still distrustful of the woman in front of him, but he couldn't help but feel relaxed when she was here than that other woman. The emotionless woman who gazed upon him with such empty eyes. It was as if she was more of an assassin than the woman in front of him and even most of the assassins he had known.

"Do you want to hear a story?" Lina asked. The boy glared at her. Lina ignored it by starting.

He still doesn't understand why she would ask him when she would tell it anyways. But for some reason, he always seemed to like her stories, especially of the stars. If he ever escaped, he would look up at the night sky to find his mother and father. He also seemed to enjoy to hear her voice speaking to him in such a normal tone, not that he would ever show or admit it.

"There was once a poor brother and sister. The brother was kind and gentle. The girl was whiny and selfish. But to the brother, she was perfect the way she is. He would have done anything for her. He would even starve and give his portion of food for her to keep her filled. Unfortunately, the girl would not notice. She complained and wanted what every girl had even though she knew they had no money for it. The brother, caring that he is, worked his hardest until his body ached to buy what she wanted. This time the young girl wanted those pretty blue slippers. He bought it for her. She rejoiced. Instead of thanking her brother, she snatched the shoes immediately and wore it the next day for all to see. It wasn't until the brother found love, and his sister was no longer the only one in his world. The sister noticing how his attention was no longer on her that she decided to find a way to break the two lovers apart. Unknown to her, the consequences were quite dire," Lina said before pausing and gave a wide smile. She noticed how the boy seemed to be attentive towards her. He gave a frustrated grunt for her to continue. Lina chuckled and got up. "Until next time, Kid."

The boy frowned and glared at her. She would always do that to him and make him feel all that suspense until the next day. He thought he could get used to it within the week, but he couldn't. It just irritated him.

Lina soon helped him lay on his bed. It was a comfortable bed, the boy had to admit to that, and it was all thanks to the Largo brothers and their keen eyes. He didn't feel tired until he laid on the bed. Sleep seemed to overtake him faster. And for some reason, he seemed safe enough to sleep. Lina smiled and left the room, knowing she could trust the boy enough to leave him.

She went downstairs and found herself confronted by Pavi. Pavi smiled at her, and Lina could only smile back. There was an awkward silence between the two. Usually, Lina had something to say, but she didn't feel like saying anything right then.

"Bella..." he started, but he found himself not able to continue. He noticed how she quirked one of her eyebrows as if waiting for him to continue. He blushed. Blushed? Lina was a little shocked to see him suddenly act like a shy school boy and wondered what the heck was wrong with him. And so she asked.

"What the hell is wrong with you? You're acting different," Lina said before getting closer to him. Pavi was a bit apprehensive when she started getting closer. She noticed when he took a step back as if she was some sort of dog that was ready to attack him. She stopped and eyed him carefully. "Okay, now I'm sure something is wrong. I'm not necessarily a busybody, but you want to tell me something, right?"

"The Pavi wants..." Pavi started. He felt the need to put his hands in his pockets and his shoulders seemed to go up to his neck. There was some sort of cuteness the way he did it, Lina had to admit. He really did look like a shy boy in middle school.

"Yeah?"

"The Pavi wants..." Pavi repeated, but it seemed the words were hard to come out.

"Just say it already," Lina told him, starting to get irritated. She didn't have time for games when she was this tired.

"The Pavi wants to get laid," he told her. Lina stared at him for a moment, trying to register what he said before her face contorted into disgust.

"What the hell does that got to do with me? I told you already, didn't I? You can do whatever you want now just as long as you don't cause any harm to anyone here," she told him before she headed to the kitchen. It was rather clear Lina was angry when her footsteps started to become heavy and her facial expression was a dead giveaway.

Just as she disappeared into the kitchen, Pavi sighed and his shoulders slumped down.

"But Bella, the Pavi wants to make love to you," Pavi whispered before turning away and walked into the living room.

He wondered why he was speechless. The usual Pavi would never be like this. He disliked this Pavi the most. He felt weak like he did long ago. He didn't want to go back to that Pavi. He wasn't going to allow a woman to do this to him. And after that thought, he needed to find a way to make the feeling disappear. Maybe, if he bed her then things will all go back to normal. After all, he may only be smitten with her because he wanted to taint her. Make her beg for him. Maybe then, he would get back to normal. He was going to do whatever it takes. Whatever it takes.

Looking out her window, Shilo still had a bad feeling that something was going to happen. Ever since Graverobber and the Largos came, she never really could get rid of the feeling. In all honesty, it may be because she was afraid of the repeat at the Opera. She clenched tightly of her pendant that Graverobber gave her on her birthday.

It was then someone knocked on her door. She was startled for a bit, but she managed to calm her heart. By that time, Graverobber poked his head through the door.

"Someone by the name of Trent is looking for you. Isn't he the guy that Emma talked about the first day I came to your house?" Graverobber asked. Shilo merely smiled.

"Oh, you remembered?" Shilo asked before standing up. Graverobber crossed his arms, feeling a tinge of jealousy inside.

"So who is he anyways?" Graverobber asked. He needed to know the handsome fellow was before he beat him to a pulp if he tried anything to his girl. Hah, it felt nice to Graverobber to think of Shilo in that way.

Shilo gave a small smirk and a mischievous glint came across her expression.

"Are you jealous?" She asked, rather curious of his answer.

"Maybe, if that would get me an answer from you," Graverobber told her before he suddenly hugged her from behind so that their bodies will touch. Shilo blushed at the sudden intimacy and possessiveness.

"You don't need to worry. He won't steal me away from you. He's just my boss," Shilo answered, no longer wanting to play around when she could feel his breath against her neck.

The feeling of being in his arms made her feel tingles from his touch and almost made her moan as well. She wanted to kiss him and show how much she loved him. It was then seconds later, she could feel a nipping against her bare shoulder. She gasped and found Graverobber already starting to mark her. To declare she was already taken. Shilo didn't seem to mind. Didn't seem to fight back because she knew it was his way of showing his affection. She knew he loved her as much as she loved him even though their love is slowly blooming and yet to become ripe.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N**: Thank you to **Emoen** and **MotherGothelFan1** for the reviews. I appreciate you both for taking the time to read my last chapter and reviewing. My rant must have scared some people off, but you guys are the only ones that seemed to continue on. For that, I thank you. And I got to say, I feel bad for Pavi as well. I can't see him to be with someone, and Lina doesn't seem good enough for him. But what I can say, I let the story speak for itself. Actually, there are some tragedies in this story I already planned out. But don't worry, I don't think there are any tears since my writing is still not up to par. And once again, I do not believe Pavi in my story will ever be like Pavi in the Repo! The Genetic Opera. I believe I tried to make Luigi as close to the person he is in the movie. Graverobber seemed a little off even if he isn't in the story as much, which is kind of weird. I don't know why he is shown less frequent in the story, though he was not shown as much in the movie as well. I still consider myself a genius for making up all these complexities in the stories from Mia's knowledge in the medical field to the explanation behind the thoughts of a child assassin through Lina. I didn't even know half of what I wrote, but it seemed to make sense to me. I make the nonsense more sensible. Well, tried to. Other than that, happy reading and please review once in a while when you can.

Chapter Four

When Shilo and Graverobber finished their short make out session and after Shilo picked a manila envelope out of the drawer from her nightstand, they went downstairs to meet this so-called Trent, who is supposedly Shilo's boss. There, in the living room, stood a tall and a rather thin man in his business suit. Though he was not physically fit like Graverobber or Luigi and may be even more thin than Pavi almost to the point of being considered as delicate, he was quite handsome in his own way. His jet black hair had been slicked back. He stood up straight much like a businessman. And to add to his features, his gray eyes seemed to make his handsome features more cooler.

When Trent noticed Shilo, he smiled and let out a small wave towards her. He also noticed a tall man behind her, maybe as tall as him though Graverobber seemed to be a few inches taller than him. He then reverted his attention back to Shilo and smiled again while ignoring Graverobber's presence.

"It's been a while, Shilo," Trent said, his voice smooth and graceful.

Shilo nodded and returned a small smile towards him.

"I'm sure you are here on business?" Shilo asked. He smiled and nodded.

"As well as finding out how you are doing. I heard the Largos are staying over in this house of yours," Trent told her, "Are you okay?" Shilo nodded in reply with a kind smile while thanking him for asking.

Graverobber eyed the man carefully. For some reason, he found this Trent guy to be quite suspicious. His gut seemed to agree with him. There was the sort of darkness he could see behind Trent's eyes. By that time, the Largo brothers, Mia, and Lina passed through before he could observe the guy any further.

"What are you doing here?" asked Lina, seemingly unhappy to see Trent.

"Well, hello there, Masters. I hope you haven't caused too much trouble on your vacation," said Trent. Lina snarled and folded her arms. Graverobber wondered if Lina figured that this Trent guy seemed suspicious as well.

"And you are one of the few last people I want to see on my vacation," she said coldly.

"Now, now, Lina. Is this the way you should speak to your boss?" Trent said with a smile, threatening Lina in his own way. Lina pursed her lips and glared at him momentarily before looking away.

"I'm sure you aren't staying long are you, Trent? After all, it is unlike you to stray far too long from your office," Mia said with a complete businesslike tone.

"Yes, of course, dear cousin. I am here just to pick up my documents and then leave," Trent answered. Graverobber was amazed to know Trent and Mia were related. And by looking at Trent's suit, he finally understood Mia must be rich as well.

The Largos looked at him carefully and found him vaguely familiar. It wasn't long before Luigi's mind clicked and figured out who he is. He crossed his arms and stared at the man before him. Pavi looked over at his brother for a second, understanding that the Largos should know him if he looked quite serious like that.

"So you are Trent de Luca of MediSurge Corporation?" Luigi asked, his voice rough and mildly curious.

"Yes. I am grateful to finally meet the Largo brothers of GeneCo," Trent answered, "I hope the medical equipment my company has made for your company are to your satisfaction?" Luigi merely nodded, saying nothing more.

"Oh yes, you are one of the few companies that co-own the GeneStein research facility with us correct?" Pavi asked, "The Pavi has heard your great feats in helping GeneStein with some cures."

Trent continued to smile and said, "My accomplishments are not as great as GeneCo's. After all, your father has saved the world from an epidemic."

The mention of their father had tensed the brothers greatly. They never really liked to mention their father ever since his death. There was always a void inside both brothers that could not completely disappear at the thought of their father. As much as there was hatred for their father, there was always some part of them that still respected and loved their father.

Everyone could see the slightest mention of their father made the brothers uncomfortable, and so Shilo decided to take the topic into a different route.

"Here are the documents. If you need anymore research on insects, I would gladly help," Shilo said.

Mia walked closer towards her cousin and laid a hand on his shoulder. Trent turned and was almost startled at the sudden physical contact. Even as she stared at him icily, her lips quirked up into a slight smile, almost forced.

"Tomorrow is your parents' death anniversary, right? I will pay my respects for them. It's all I can do now for them after they took me in and raised me like their own," Mia told him. Trent nodded and gave her a warm smile.

"Yes, of course, cousin."

Mia turned away and headed upstairs to her room. She sighed and sat at her desk with a deep thought.

A frustrated sigh escaped Lina's lips. She suddenly shoves the Largo brothers out of the room, knowing full well the Largos are not much up to their usual selves if they stayed moping like that any longer. Just before Lina decided to get them out of the living room, Trent gave him his farewells to the Largos, knowing full well he would not be able to bid them farewell afterwards.

It was only Graverobber and Shilo again standing with Trent. Graverobber didn't like to leave Shilo alone with the guy. It may be his overprotective side for Shilo that made him stand so tall next to her while he suddenly wrapped Shilo's waist with his arm protectively, showing Trent that Shilo was his. Shilo had unusually not notice the tense atmosphere or wondered about Graverobber's sudden contact.

"Ah, Shilo, is this man your boyfriend?" Trent asked, nodding his head towards Graverobber instead of pointing at him.

Shilo suddenly blushed and felt her shoulders slightly went up to her neck shyly. For the recently turned twenty-two year old, she looked cute when she was bashful. Graverobber and Trent agreed to that. It made Graverobber quirk his lips into a smile and pulled Shilo closer to him. Shilo stared up at Graverobber for a moment before she turned away, trying her best to prevent her face from getting any redder.

"I guess your expression tells all," Trent said lightly, "Now that I know you are doing fine and I finally got what I needed, I shall take my leave. Take care Shilo. Until next time."

Shilo mumbled a "you too" before he left her house. As Trent left, Graverobber continued to have a bad vibe about the guy. And usually, he was never wrong. There was no way in hell he was going to leave Shilo alone with the guy. And for some reason, the guy seemed more dangerous than the Largos themselves.

Just as everything went back to normal, Graverobber decided to ask some questions about Trent from Mia. He had to know about that guy. And since she was supposedly his cousin, she might give him some answers.

When he knocked on Mia's door, Mia opened to be greeted by Graverobber's tall figure. She told him to come in before she sat herself on her desk, concentrating on papers that seemed to be piled high onto the left and right side of the desk. There in the middle of the desk was a small stack of paper.

"What do you need?" She asked, her back turned from Graverobber's sight as she read the papers on her desk.

"What do you know about your dear cousin?" Graverobber asked, straight to the point. He knew she was the kind that didn't like to beat around the bush, so he didn't try to.

She stopped reading before turning around to meet Graverobber's gaze. She still had the papers in her hand. There was a moment of silence before she put the small stack of papers back on her desk and turned back to Graverobber again.

"Why do you need to know?" She questioned. There was a chill as she spoke; her voice void of any emotion. There was a hint of threat in her voice as if telling Graverobber to be careful of his answer. Graverobber didn't seem to mind because, after all, he was a street smart kind of guy. And being on the streets, he knew to be careful.

"Are you close to him? How did he meet Shilo and how did Shilo work for him?" Graverobber inquired. His right brow rose curiously, showing he was rather much interested in knowing.

Mia crossed her arms as she at Graverobber silently once again for a few seconds before she asked him to sit down. Graverobber sat on her bed, and the silence continued once more. She then let out a sigh.

"I could say I'm close to his parents but not him. We may be cousins, but I have only known him for a short time span before his parents' death as he was already living some place else while I was living with his parents. As for how Shilo met him and how she worked for him, I was the one to introduce Shilo to him. She needed work and Trent was willing to do me a favor. There's nothing between the two, I assure you. And of course, I'm not willing to let Trent fancy her either even if we are cousins," Mia explained.

Graverobber stared at her as if asking her to continue. When there is no response, he sighed and stood up. His character is still in question. Mia didn't give any clarification as to what kind of guy he is.

"So why not?" Graverobber asked.

"Hm? Please elaborate," Mia said, pretending as if she didn't know what he was asking.

"Why don't you let him and Shilo get together?" He specified though he cringed as he asked that. He crossed his arms at the thought of them being a couple.

"I have my own reasons," Mia plainly answered before turning back to her papers, "If you will please excuse me, my work as a doctor is never over even if this is considered my so-called vacation."

Graverobber did as he was told and left the room, closing the door behind him. Lina didn't like him. Mia seemed indifferent about her cousin. He had a bad feeling about Trent. For now, Trent's character is still unknown, but Graverobber knew there was something shady about the guy. But of course, Graverobber learned that time will tell a person's character. After all, nothing can escape time.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N**: Aren't I nice? I updated early for you guys. ^-^. Sorry for it being a bit short. Part of me wanted to wait for a week to update, but I find it best to give you guys a present for being ever so faithful. Now, listen, this chapter I wrote is not from my original mindset. It's just that my brain controlled me. Since I wrote the last chapter all night on Wednesday, I wrote this one right after I posted it with such incredible speed and with the highest degree of inspiration. This is how the chapter came to be. Isn't my brain brilliant? And also, I added a bonus extra to this. This time it's about Amber Sweet's past. It's short unlike the Largo brothers. Thank you to **Miss Lucy** (ah, thank you. I do understand I need some improvement through my story, and thank you for seeing how much effort I put through the story), **Emoen** (I think I get it, well, kind of. Instead of about the rebellion and Repo Men, how about some Pavi and Lina moment? This chapter would have succeeded in that, I think. Hopefully), **MotherGothelFan1** (Aww thanks. Ah, well, I think I kind of made that wish, the one with Pavi and Lina being a cute couple, come true in this chapter? What do you think?), and **UroborosTyrant** (so hard to spell out your name this time. lol. From the review, did I make you speechless? lol. Just kidding. Thank you for being considerate enough to review. I am very thankful). **Warning!** **Some language and adult themes stated in this chapter!** After you guys finish reading, please review. I want to know what you think. Was this good enough? Should I have never let this chapter happen? Was the chapter worth it? Love it? Hate it? Don't know how you feel about it? I have to say, this is one of the fastest chapters I have ever written. Well, happy reading! I hope to hear you guys soon! ^-^. With love, LinaNamiStar.

Chapter Five

Closing his eyes, he could feel her lips against his forcefully. He couldn't help but open his mouth and stuck his tongue inside hers as he deepened the kiss. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him, so he could feel himself against her. His lower area had wanted some action, but she wouldn't allow it. She was the first to part away from his lips as she stared at him. She growled before stepping away from him while hiding her lips by the back of her hand, but he still held her tightly against him. It was by that time, she wondered what the heck she was doing.

Lina Masters kissed thee Pavi Largo on the lips willingly and with such force to blow his mind. She made the first move. He wanted more. He wanted all of her. Pavi can no longer resist. How did this happen? Well...

* * *

><p>Lina was standing right outside Shilo's gates and stared at the darkened sky covered with bright lights of the GeneCo ads and artificial lights created from the helicopters going back and forth from the sky. During that time, Pavi Largo was also out having his daily release and female juice intake. He felt his whole body wanting more, more than the women he had slept with. He had tasted almost all women he had gotten his sights on except for her. He wanted her. His mind trailed off thinking about the woman. He did not notice he was already at Wallace's house. When the chauffeur disrupted his thoughts, he looked out to see Lina standing there.<p>

He smiled and got out of the limo eagerly. Not before long, he held her around her waist. And not before long after that, she unconsciously hit him on the lower area. Pavi let go of her and leaned forward while holding his privacy. Lina turned around and growled at her attacker when she realized it was Pavi.

"What the hell are you thinking to sneak up on me like that and then touch me?" Lina angrily asked him. Pavi merely groaned in pain as he could feel the throbbing pain still there. She sighed before she held him on his shoulders. Pavi looked up. "I'll get some ice for you."

Before Lina was about to open the gate, Pavi grabbed her wrist. She looked back at him, wondering what he wanted now. Pavi had a frown on his face. There was a moment he wanted to push her against the wall and have her right then and there, but he knew he was too weak against Lina. After all, she was one feisty ex-assassin.

Lina noticed the want in his eyes. It disturbed her. He had already gone out to get laid, didn't he? Why did he have this continuous lust in his eyes? She tried to yank her hand away from Pavi's grasp, but he held her wrist tight enough. Even though she was stronger than him, it didn't mean Pavi was going to let her off lightly for ignoring him.

Yes, she had been ignoring Pavi as of late. He had enough of it. He wanted her to look at him. Want him. Make him belong to her.

"The Pavi wants you, bella. The Pavi wants you right now. I want to feel your body against the Pavi's. The Pavi lusts for you, bella," Pavi finally admitted. Lina was shocked even though she should have known. She never really thought Pavi would lust a woman like her. But then again, he was a woman lover after all.

"Shut up, face-stealer. You don't mean that. Why don't you go out and relieve your lust like you always had?" Lina told him. A feeling of irritation filled her mind yet there was also a yearning, but her yearning wasn't of lust. It was so much more than that.

"The Pavi does not say things he does not mean," Pavi explained seriously. His eyes turned dark, and his lips were in a thin line. It was the first time she had seen this guy become serious.

"Do you think I'm that easy? Keep dreaming, you bastard," Lina spat as she grabbed Pavi's wrist that was holding hers and pulled her grabbed wrist away from his grasp. She then turned away and was about to enter the Wallace household's gates again.

Pavi stared at her before he suddenly lunged towards her. By the time she realized it, she was caught on the ground with Pavi on top of her. Her body was faced down and her back was now facing Pavi's. The side of Lina's face could feel the cold and hard ground of the concrete. There was going to be a bruise there from her suddenly hitting the hard ground from Pavi's sudden strength.

"Do not ignore the Pavi. The Pavi will no longer be ignored," he told her. Lina shouted curses but she could not escape since Pavi's knees held Lina's legs in place and her wrists were held by Pavi's strong hand, making her vulnerable and unable to do anything. She usually wouldn't have left an opening for anyone to attack her, but her emotions got the best of her and gave Pavi the chance to render her useless.

Pavi frowned as he heard Lina shout curses at him. She never cursed him with so much hatred before. She was always so nice to him before he had gotten his face back. He didn't understand. Pavi could not come up with a reason for her to wrongfully ignore him. He could have raped Lina right then, but he had no urge to. He felt completely empty. Felt the burning pain inside his stomach.

"Why don't you want the Pavi?" He asked, his heart aching and hoping for her to accept him. He slowly loosened his hold on her and then completely got off her. Lina groaned before sitting up while she rubbed the side of her face that hit the pavement. She turned around and looked across from her. Pavi's head lowered like he was a kid being punished or feeling guilty for something he did.

She sighed before standing up and walking towards Pavi. She gently laid a hand on Pavi's shoulder. He tensed under her touch. He felt shivers down his spine, and he couldn't stop the feelings boiling up inside him.

"Look at me, you idiot," Lina told him, though her voice was soft and tender.

He looked at her in the eyes. He could see her dark brown orbs. He softly touched the reddened side of her face. His touch was light and seemed hesitant as if his touch would hurt her. Lina sighed before she held his hand on her face. She pulled his hand closer to her face, so he could touch it. To feel the bruise on his hand.

"Bella, I-" Pavi started, but he was cut off by her letting go of his hand and suddenly pulled him close to her. She leaned in and forced a kiss upon his lips.

Pavi was shocked for a second before he opened his mouth for her to gain better access. Lina didn't push her tongue inside his mouth as she wasn't the kind to do that, instead Pavi did it for her. His tongue shooting inside her mouth. Lina didn't seem to mind and had not notice that Pavi wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. He could feel his lower area throbbing for action. Lina could feel his lower area hardening, and she wondered if this kiss was the start of it. The kiss lasted longer than Lina expected and a bit much to her liking when she could feel Pavi pulling her closer and his arms tightened around her waist even further. She pulled away first, knowing Pavi would not. Pavi's hold on her lessened and she made a step back. She covered her lips with the back of her hand, and her face slowly turned a beet red. Pavi moaned unhappily when she pulled away, but his lips formed into a goofy grin when she saw how shy Lina looked.

"Can't believe I did that," Lina mumbled before she took another step away from him.

"The bella is incredible," Pavi complimented. Her ears started heating up and glared at him.

"Shut up! And… go get some release for that thing of yours," she said, feeling embarrassed as she pointed at his bulging part of his pants.

Pavi's grin widened and held her close and kissed her cheek.

"Pavi feels happy for some reason," Pavi said before he suddenly snuggled against her neck. He could smell a mix of light sweat and citrus on her.

"What the heck are you doing?" Lina yelled before pushing him away. Pavi groaned and he suddenly gave out a puppy pout. But just as it appeared, it disappeared into a bright expression.

"After all of this, the bella is embarrassed to be snuggled by the Pavi? The Pavi knows the bella likes him," Pavi said in a matter-of-factly tone while his finger pointed up to make a point. He looked quite smitten by the statements he made.

"Oh, shut it," Lina yelled once again, not denying or agreeing to anything, "Just leave and get your release."

Pavi nodded before skipping to the limousine with a much happier feeling inside of him. Just one kiss changed everything to Pavi. She was perfect. The kiss was perfect. And for some reason, he imagined being laid with her may even be better than perfect. He couldn't wait until that time came. But for now, he felt pleasant to know she wanted him. Even though she said nothing about liking him, he knew through the kiss showed her feelings. Pavi knew when a woman lied, and he knew Lina could not lie through her actions.

"Where would you like to go, Mr. Largo?" the chauffeur asked.

Pavi smiled brightly and said, "Just drive around in a different district. The Pavi doesn't really want to go anywhere."

"But sir, do you not want to go to a hotel with another woman and do… that?" The chauffeur asked who seemed a bit hesitant to speak about the adult theme. Pavi didn't seem to mind about the chauffeur being nosy. He seemed not to let anything to disturb his pleasant feeling.

"The Pavi will find another way," Pavi answered, leaving the chauffeur to his imagination. The chauffeur cringed at the thought of what Pavi may do but tried to stay focus on something else. His release was the last thing the chauffeur wanted to imagine.

Meanwhile, Graverobber was selling Zydrate to scalpel sluts and Z-addicts. His business was booming tonight, and Graverobber seemed to be on the roll. His thoughts of Trent were now long gone when he was in business mode though Shilo was always in his mind as he injected Zydrate to his customers. Thinking back, her neck was delectable to him. He needs to tease her more often as he seemed most happy being able to make Shilo speechless or incredibly feisty.

"Graverobber! Sometimes I wonder why I need you at all," Amber Sweet's voice echoed through the night. Graverobber groaned as he knew it was too late to escape. He should have known by the clicking of her high-heeled boots. No other person could have a presence like Amber Sweet. He let out a sigh before smiling at the new head of GeneCo.

"Ah, Amber Sweet. What do I owe the pleasure of meeting you here?" Graverobber said eloquently before bowing curtly towards her. Amber Sweet sneered in disgust while her two male bodyguards were behind her. She had always used male bodyguards at night instead of Rotti's female bodyguards.

"I want my Zydrate. I am frustrated as it is," Amber Sweet huffed.

Graverobber smirked and showed her the blue glow from out of his pocket.

"So where's my money?" He asked. Miss Sweet rolled her eyes and started to take out the coins from her pocket and handed it to him. His grin turned into like that of the Chesire Cat. He put the blue tube into the Zydrate gun and started finding a place to implant the glow into her.

"So what's got you this intense?" Graverobber asked, trying to get some information just for the fun of it.

"My brothers," she answered curtly. She frowned and stayed quiet for a moment but continued on, "With the rebellion going on, we are starting to lose some business. It's hectic over at GeneCo. They were supposed to come home and help me out. I don't even know what the fuck they are doing? I tried calling them but they ignored my calls. Those bastards, I only let them stay so they could help me out. If I was able to trust others, I would have found replacements and kicked them out instead of keeping those bastards to help me out."

She continued to rant about how hard her life is ever since she took over GeneCo. She was nothing like she was when she met with Shilo. The business-like self of hers seemed to be a false pretense to make her look good. Right now, she was just a whiny bitch.

When Graverobber found out he wasn't getting any other information, he started to press the gun to her thigh, so she could get onto her high. He heard her moan in pure pleasure. He smirked before he gave a curt bow to the bodyguards before they took her away. Graverobber sighed for a moment before he turned back to his customers and smiled.

* * *

><p>Extra Bonus: Carmela Largo turns into Amber Sweet<p>

She watched Blind Mag take the stage. She was just a child back then and she stared in awe at Blind Mag. Back then, Carmela found her to be her idol. She was perfect in every way. Her singing was that of an angel. Her looks were that of a princess. Her eyes... Oh, how much Carmela loved those perfect special eyes. She loved the way she took the stage. Cameras started to take immediate pictures. Camera men tried to get every good angle as they can. It was perfect. She was perfect, and Carmela wanted to be perfect.

She always sang when she was a child due to the influence of Blind Mag. She tried to be her in every way. Everyone started complimenting her looks. She was like a beautiful doll, they said. Things were always beautiful and bright for the young Carmela Largo. Pavi would be nice and take care of her. He would tell her she looked more beautiful than any girl he had ever seen. Luigi would protect her from any boys that came her way. It was a beautiful thing. She also had her father's love back then. He would always call her "his princess of his kingdom". Her mother was long gone, but Marni took her place. She was a nice lady but sometimes took away her father's attention from her.

It was then time slowly aged her. She was no longer considered as a perfect doll. She found that her idol she loved so much was getting more attention than she would ever get from her father. Marni had been dead for a few months now. Her father no longer called her "his princess". Men only flocked her for money and not her looks. By that time, Carmela found that looks were everything. Pavi was already a face-stealing maniac and always thought about being laid. Luigi Largo was full of hatred and no longer became the protective brother from back then. Her father ignored her and only focused on Blind Mag's performances to get more customers for GeneCo. At that, Carmela despised her idol. She was no longer her idol but a nuisance. Everyone loved her, but nobody would love Carmela. She wanted to change that. Wanted to change and become like Blind Mag except much better.

It was then she decided to find perfection through surgery. But of course, her father would not let her. It would have been a waste of money if she did. She whined and threw tantrums until Rotti agreed. And in due time, he agreed (his greatest mistake). She made sure to change her imperfections in one go. There was so much change she wanted badly. But just as she had made an appointment, her father told her she would not get any Zydrate. After all, money is money.

Carmela was, of course, shocked at the news. How would she get through the pain? She had heard that Zydrate will not make her feel anything when the surgeon cuts her. She also heard stories of how painful it would be without Zydrate. It was then she heard from some scalpel sluts and Z-addicts about a Graverobber selling Zydrate. With a grin, Carmela Largo made her way to the darkness of the alley by herself. The greatest change she would make was there.

She found a Graverobber, but he was not THE Graverobber that she and Shilo had met. This Graverobber was different from the Graverobber she would later on meet in a different alley. This Graverobber was a jerk and a sex addict. He would rape while the blue vial took its course into the female customer. Sadly, Carmella did not know better. She wanted to know how Zydrate works and wanted to try it out before buying a full vial for her surgery. And before she realized it, she opened her eyes to find herself alone yet remembering the pure satisfaction of the Zydrate working inside her. And with it, there was shame. Her bodyguards had found her fully nude with her clothes ripped and discarded near her, and things went downhill from there.

She was no longer Carmela Largo after that. And ever so slowly, Amber Sweet was formed.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N**: Thank you to **UroborosTyran**t (*smiles* I'm glad that you liked last chapter), **MotherGothelFan1** (Woah, that's a lot of loving. Hahaha, yeah, I never thought I would pair them this way, but my brain just wouldn't stop nagging me to get them together), and **Emoen** (lol, I knew you would like Pavi's moment to shine. I actually wanted to make one of the brothers to suffer, but I guess my brain wanted a turn of events than I originally planned) for the reviews. I don't know why but I'm cringing at what I wrote for this chapter because there is a love (not sex) scene. Darn, I'm better at creating humor and drama (maybe a bit angst) instead of romance. I can't for the life of me wonder why I'm continuing to write love scenes when I'm terrible at it. Other than that, I think I'm improving bit by bit. I have utmost confidence in this chapter because when I cringe from writing a love scene, I'm doing something right in the romance department. Well, hopefully. Happy Reading and Enjoy! ^-^

Chapter Six

Luigi woke with a scowl as he woke up from sleeping on the floor. It seemed he had rolled off the couch. It was even his turn to sleep on it instead of the unspacious armchairs on either side of the small living room table. Luigi was glad he didn't hit the table when he fell. There would be one heck of a bruise. And of course, there would also be some artistic words coming out of his mouth if it ever happened.

He seemed to actually got used to sleeping on the floor whenever he slept on the couch. He still missed his huge soft bed though. He wondered why he was torturing himself in staying this cramped up house (though it was more spacious than most of the other peasants' houses).

He looked around to see his brother on one of the armchairs and the Rave guy on the other. Lina was sleeping soundly on the other couch before him. He scowled once again when he saw the terrible monster sleeping peacefully. The other monster, the Repo Man, was still unconscious on a air bed on the ground next to the armchair Pavi was sleeping and the couch that Lina was laying on. He huffed before he got up. He started patting himself off any imaginary dust that may had gotten on him. It was hard sleeping as it is, and the triplets whining at night did nothing to help lower Luigi's irritation. The only way he would calm down was with Mia, who seemed to know a way to creep into his heart. She knew what to do to make him blush or make him speechless. He should have hated Mia to make him feel this way. But to Luigi, she was so damn sexy and cute. Though emotionless as she was, he could see there was an attraction he had for her. Beautiful as she is, she was much more than that.

He couldn't help but smile at the thought of her. Not realizing, he had fallen hard for the woman in his thoughts. Usually, he would not care or fancy other women other than the ones he forcefully laid with (some of them already dead when he did so). There was so much attraction he had for Mia that he wondered why Pavi would rather have his attention on that despicable monster than his goddess. Yes, she is a goddess. Luigi wasn't afraid to admit it. Anyone else who had a problem with it can find his knife in his or her throat.

He started making his way to the kitchen and started to make his own coffee. Yes, the Luigi Largo had learned to make his own coffee. The horrible monster would not allow anyone other than him to make his own coffee. It was part of her so-called discipline for him. If they were to stay here, they need to do some things by themselves instead of forcing others to do it for them. Curse that vile woman!

After a few terrible attempts (Luigi calls it adjustments), he was able to make it right. It took a while but his hard labor was enough to fill him with accomplishment. He savored his straight black coffee. Something about coffee calmed and soothed him a great deal. He would at least have two cups of coffee each day but no less than that.

During his thoughts, Mia came through with the triplets in front of her which were held by some sort cloth for each baby to fit in. She set each baby on his and her baby chair while getting ready to make their milk and feed them. Mia noticed Luigi did not notice her and the babies which made Mia smile. She softly crept towards him before kissing his cheek. Luigi was startled and almost fell back from sitting on his chair. He was about to yell but noticed Mia smiling at him. He blushed and turned away.

"You shouldn't scare me like that," he mumbled enough for Mia to hear. Mia chuckled and put her arms around his shoulders from his back. He could smell her intoxicating perfume, relaxing him more than the caffeine itself.

"Did you not sleep well?" Mia whispered near his ear. Ah, such a thing made him harden so. He could only grunt in reply, knowing full well he could not speak with words.

"_Too damn sexy_," Luigi thought.

Mia snuggled her cheek against Luigi, making him quietly moan. Mia giggled and stopped teasing him. He huffed when her skin was no longer against his. He always hated how she would part away from him. She would not have fun teasing people, but Luigi was someone quite special to her. At first, she merely wanted to thank him for saving her that day, even though he would never know about the girl he had met. She was sure he had forgotten her, and she hoped it would stay that way. And before she knew it, she found herself falling for Luigi. Only to him, her teasing was not half-hearted. She etched all of his reactions in her mind. If anything were to happen to her, she would want to have flashbacks of him as she disappears.

"I better start making milk for the triplets. We will have our time in the afternoon, right love?" Mia asked, her voice soft and seductive.

Luigi's lip turned into a line and nodded.

"We better," he told her with crossed arms, "I don't like to share."

"Don't pout, Luigi. I will make up to you when we go to the hotel," Mia told him. Luigi smirked knowing what that meant. He hated waiting, but it would be worth it.

As everyone started having their breakfast, Lina was in the room with the child assassin with a plate of food in one hand. The boy was wide awake and was ready to be fed. He seemed calm enough and found himself used to it. He no longer found himself as empty as he had been before. It should not have taken him this quickly to change, but he felt... cared for. Being in the assassin business, there was no love or even mercy for anyone. Not even for his comrades. Those that could not handle it would die and those that can would live another day. He wondered why he was still alive when he had already avenged his parents, yet he did not want to die. His mind kept on telling him to live, and so he lived.

Lina sat and helped him to sit up before she took up a plate again and started feeding him. He found the food delicious as always. He always thought the one who cooked this must be a chef. If Shilo heard of this compliment, she would be very pleased.

There was a sense of mutual silence between her and the boy. Mia had confirmed that this boy was mute due to the heavy punishments he has received on hsi body. Someone as young as him who had to endure such punishment usually had become silent because the pain was too much. Scientifcally, he could talk, but the mental damage from the pain sent shockwaves to the brain, making him unable to speak.

Communication was hard, but Lina was not going to stop trying. She could understand the feelings of how he felt by his expressions, but she needed more to understand him. She needed to know who he is. She couldn't always call him 'you' or 'kid' forever. Well, maybe she can, but it would irritate her if she did not know his name.

When she had fed him finished, she had sent down the plate next to the door and made her way back to the bed. She looked over at him and sighed.

"I need to know your name," Lina told him. The boy stared at her for a moment before he shook his head, maybe telling her he did not want her to know. "Why not?"

Unable to tell her, he continued to shook his head. He shrugged his shoulders, hinting it wasn't important. Lina thought for a bit and sighed.

"Some day, you will have to give me your name. It could be fake for all I care. I just need a name to remember and call you by. To know who you are," Lina spoke once again. The boy looked at his feet. He was thinking of whether or not he should give her his name, but how would he if he could not speak? And of course, he wondered why he did not want to give his name in the first place. It wasn't like she would find out anything about him.

"Do you have any family?" Lina suddenly asked. The boy whipped his head up and his eyes seemed to be surprised at the sudden question. His mouth squeezed into a thin line, hinting to her he disliked the question very much. Lina let out another sigh.

"You've got to answer me, boy. Are there any _living_ relatives that can take care of you or willing to take care of you?" Lina questioned even further. The boy hated her right now. Why was she persisting to get these answers now? Could she not see he did not want to answer any of them?

"I've let you off long enough. If you have family, I will take you to them. Keep you safe from those out there. I will make sure nobody harms you or your family," Lina told him confidently. The boy's glare disappeared into that of being startled.

Lina smiled before continuing on, "Don't think I can't do anything. I can achieve much more than any average person in this hell on Earth. I have no power, no money, but I do have strength. And of course, people love me."

The last statement was made as a joke, but the boy seemed unable to take notice. He looked skeptical at first, but he seemed to think it was true. He rarely understood jokes since his life was full of seriousness. But of course, not everyone in his clan are like him. Some were average and others had such hyper but deadly personalities. He was the kind that goes behind-the-scenes. He is someone that stays in the shadows and kills quietly.

"Kid, you need to answer my questions. If you don't have anyone, you can stay here and be taken care of. Live a normal life," Lina told him. He didn't know what to feel about it. It sounded tempting, but he was reminded of his life. He killed quite a few of Repo Men. He could no longer be the child he once was before everything went downhill for him.

Questions remained in his mind as he thought about the Repo Men and his clan. What was the reason to take out the Repo Men's brains? What were they going to do with it? He had wondered about it, but he did not question it. Questioning about their duties could result in punishment by death or pure torture. He knew when to keep his mouth shut.

Lina noticed his far off look and started to lay back on her chair. She crossed her arms, seemingly unhappy that she was being ignored. Other than that, she seemed to be waiting patiently for him to get out of his thoughts. It took a minute or two before he realized he was daydreaming. He stared at her confused as to why she didn't disrupt his thoughts instead of waiting for him to be finished.

Lina seemed rather bored since she was twirling her thumbs around each other. The boy uttered a noise and Lina looked up to see him staring at her funny. She smiled and got up to ruffle his hair. He grunted unhappily. When she stopped, she started patting his head lightly like an owner does to a dog. He grunted once more, causing Lina to laught this time.

"I'll leave you alone then, but I want my questions to be answered tomorrow. We can't let you stay unless you want to. In this house, you have a choice, Kid. Nobody will ever take that freedom from you," she told him before leaving the child alone. The boy stared until she was no longer there.

He sighed and thought about the word "freedom". When was the last time he was free to do things? Even as a child, he rarely had the chance to make his own decisions. And of course, a kid doesn't know any better. Well, that was what his father and mother once told him when they made a decision for him even though he wanted to choose something opposite of what they chose for him.

Shilo took the chance to find progress on the Repo Man. He was still unconscious in the living room. She wondered if the man would ever wake up. The Repo Man's helmet was still on him. Nobody except Mia dared to touch it as the identity of the Repo Man should always be kept hidden. And of course, nobody really cared who he is. Mia only took off the helmet and his Repo suit for medical purposes. She had to find out if there were any outward damages on the Repo Man and if there were any internal damages as well. It seemed the shock from the three-pronged weapon had caused him to be in a coma. Any physical damage has been tended for. There were only a few deep cuts made by a dagger or knife. It was nothing that time can heal though the cuts may leave a scar.

She sighed and started making her way into the bathroom. She was still nervous about a Repo Man staying inside her house, but she couldn't utter anything to Lina and Mia about kicking him out. Even if she had the right to, her conscious had reminded her of her father. She shivered at the thought of her father killing people. She had found his secret room where he repossessed organs of a man. He had left many GeneCo officers behind. And of course, all of them laid dead from them trespassing his home and trying to kill him. Lina was the one who cleaned up the secret hiding place with the help of some friends of hers, who are the clean-up crew of picking up dead bodies and dumping them somewhere. Thankfully, Shilo saved her father from being dumped into an unknown place. She laid her father with her mother where they should rightfully be. No, she didn't return her mother back into the wall. Her rightful place was to be in the casket with her name on it with Shilo's father beside her. As for Blind Mag, her burial had been done by her fans. She had a beautiful grave meant for her. On her gravestone, there was a picture of a black bird being free from a cage. She deserved the best.

She shook her head and looked at herself in the mirror. She had changed throughout the years. Her hair was longer. It was all thanks to Mia that rid the poison inside her, but it only took most of the poison out of her. Mia had told her there is a possibility there was some poison inside her, but it was not enough to endanger or make her addicted to her own poison/medicine. Sadly, the poison stunted her growth, making her unable to grow any further than her seventeen year old self. The blue pills and the blue powered substance (something her father would mix with water that gave the same effect as the blue pills) had a mixture of zydrate as well as some sort of poison. Zydrate actually helped to protect her from any danger of the real poison substance. It supposedly made her sickly but not enough to endanger her life. Her father was brilliant, yet the extent of his brilliant mind was only in the medical field. Shilo wondered where her father learned about making poisons. She was sure her father was a doctor before her mother died. It was too bad she didn't know the whole story or if she would ever be able to.

Seventeen years of confinement she had endured, yet it wasn't worth the pain, doubt, and suffering. She was a rebel at seventeen. After she was free, she was able to rebel all she wants. Funny, how it went out. Without Lina and Mia to save her, she would have not last. Her father was right. What can a seventeen year old like her do? She was jealous of all those seventeen year olds that survived on their own while she was scared of being one of the seventeen year olds that didn't. Her fears disappeared to only find her miracle in her two friends.

Shilo smiled at the thought of her memories with her two friends and shook her head at the embarrassing moments that suddenly filled her mind afterwards. She let out a sigh of satisfaction before she left the bathroom.

By then, she bumped into Pavi. She winced at the one of the few people she did not want to be alone with. She took a few steps back as well. Pavi noticed but said nothing. He seemed really pleased for some reason. Shilo had taken note of that when she took a peek at him.

"Ah, bella, isn't today fantastico?" Pavi said brightly as he got near Shilo and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. Shilo winced again at the closeness but did nothing.

"You seem a bit... excited," Shilo whispered, wondering what may have changed him to become so different.

"But of course, bella!" Pavi said excitedly, making Shilo wince once more as he started to squeeze her tightly against him. She could feel the silky fabric of his shirt against her cheek. "The Pavi has good news!"

"_Oh, please merciful God, save me_," Shilo shouted in her head, squeezing her eyes to pray harder.

"What the heck are you doing?" Lina's voice called out. Shilo opened her eyes and let out a sigh of relief. Her prayer was heard, and she thanked God in her mind. "Let go of her, you idiot. You're making her uncomfortable."

Pavi did as he was told, but he continued to be ecstatic as ever. Shilo was amazed that Pavi didn't correct her about his name and seemed too excited today. He strided towards Lina and suddenly put an arm around her waist. Lina winced at the sudden contact and felt herself blushing. She snarled and pulled his arm away, hiding the blush by using her anger. Pavi groaned with sadness. All of his excitement had gone from his face.

When Lina noticed his look, she rolled her eyes and started to pat his head. Pavi's excitement suddenly returned. Shilo was surprised at the sudden shift and wondered what may have happen to the two. Even though Lina patting Pavi's head like a master would do to a dog, they seemed quite cute. Shilo wouldn't admit it out loud, afraid of the wrath she would receive from Lina.

"One step at a time, you foolish man," Lina told him. Pavi nodded, accepting anything she said even though he was quite impatient.

"So you two are a couple now?" Shilo asked hesitantly. Lina blushed and turned away.

"What do you think?" Lina asked with a sarcastic tone to it.

Shilo giggled, now understanding Pavi's overly joyful expression. It was obvious Lina was blushing. And the more she tried hiding it, the more it became evident. Shilo was rather surprised at the thought of not reacting more about it, but it seemed rather normal to her that they were a couple. After all, it seemed her house was blooming with romantic feelings.

"Are you two going anywhere special today? Mia and Luigi are going out together," Shilo pointed out. Pavi's eyes started to sparkle, but Lina was the opposite. She seemed rather bored.

"Nah. I'm staying at home since my presence is necessary if Mia's away," Lina said.

Pavi whipped his head at her, surprised at her answer. Pavi's lower lip protruded into a puppy pout as if unhappy about the decision. Lina rolled her eyes and kissed his cheek. Pavi smiled and started to hug her side and started snuggling against her neck. Lina winced at the affection but allowed him to do so. She wanted to make up for not going an outing with him. Lina wondered if she was being too soft.

Shilo's face started blushing at their intimacy. And for some reason, she felt like the third wheel standing there. It seemed Pavi took any chance he can get in trying to get any sort of skinship with Lina, even if it may not be of the sort he was accustomed to (hint: adult theme). Shilo winced wondering how many women he had laid with though the thought disappeared immediately when the suggestive theme was too much for her brain.

"Why don't you go out with your boyfriend? You seem to rarely go out with him," Lina said.

Shilo was rather suprised at the sudden offer. She wanted to, but the children needed watching. Also, she didn't want to put all her responsibility on Lina's shoulders. Lina caught sight of her worried expression.

"Shilo, I can handle it. And anyways, I've got Nate. He can help me watch the children. I can take care of the triplets and the special one while Nate can take care of the rest of the children," Lina told her, "Go out and have fun. You deserve it."

"But-" Shilo started.

"No buts. It is one day, after all. I can handle it," Lina told her. With such a stubborn attitude, Lina wasn't going to allow Shilo have a say so. Shilo knew that.

Shilo let out a sigh of defeat and reluctantly said, "Fine. I'll tell Rave then."

"Good," Lina said with a smirk.

Pavi watched the whole ordeal and found himself amazed at Lina. He knew she was stubborn, but her confidence in getting her way was astounding. Pavi smiled as he found something similar between her and him. They were both irresistible even if Pavi's is different from Lina's. But of course, such a small matter of difference can never be greater than a similarity.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N**: Hehehe, well, I have to apologize for not updating this story, so I am sorry for that. I was a little busy, but I was also addicted to playing a game. lol. I had to find a way to refresh myself and writing stories all day just drained me. I hope you like this chapter though. The storyline is starting to pick up again. Thank you to** Emoen **(I guess she's been too cold all her life and Luigi just brings the warmth out of her. After all, Luigi was her first crush, and he did save her once), **MotherGothelFan1** (Hahaha, yep, Luigi and Mia are going to do more than kiss. But sadly, I'm no lemon writer, so I let you guys imagine their intimate moment together. I agree with you about Lina being soft, guess she's slowly progressing how to interact. After all, I feel she is a little awkward with her own feelings, and her badass attitude is slowly slipping away to those she starts to care about), and **UroborosTyrant** (lol, thanks. I'm glad you liked it)for the reviews. I might be updating slow from now one, maybe due to feeling unwell. I've been feeling terrible lately, so I might take time away from writing. Happy Mother's Day, and I hope those who care about their mothers to appreciate them on this day (although it's much better to appreciate them every day)!

Chapter Seven

She would never get used to Graverobber getting zydrate out of dead bodies. Shilo had told Graverobber if he would like to go out with her tonight. She never thought she would go out and watch him get zydrate. Graverobber let out a smirk when he noticed how disgusted Shilo looked as he pointed the needle and slammed it into the nose of a dead woman before extracting it into a vial.

"Isn't this fun, Lovebug?" questioned Graverobber, knowing full well what her answer would be.

"Yeah," she said sarcastically, "It's really fun, Graverobber."

Graverobber went to harvest the next body. He examined the body for a moment before nodding and started the same process again.

"I could always stop if you are really that bored," he started before he suddenly grinned mischievously and looked at her, "or you could help me with harvesting."

He turned back and tried to stifle a chuckle. He knew she would never want to help him with such dirty work. He didn't mind at all if she didn't. Shilo winced and shook her head immediately even though his back was already turned.

"As much as I love you, I am not going to harvest any Zydrate from dead bodies even for you. I already learned my lesson when I-" Shilo's voice trailed off. She bit her lower lip at the thought of how she harvested Zydrate from her mother just because she wanted a cure to her fake illness.

Graverobber knew what she was thinking and stopped after getting the Zydrate out of the current dead body. He turned to look at her and found her head lowered. He sighed before towards his girlfriend and stood near her.

"Thinking about that time, huh?" Graverobber asked.

Shilo nodded and looked up at Graverobber. Her dark brown orbs were glassy from the tears forming in her eyes.

"Why?" Shilo asked. Graverobber stared at her for a moment before he quirked his right brow.

"Why what?" He questioned back.

"Why did you steal my mother's body? I'm sure you have known she's my mother. I don't know how you know, but I know you are resourceful enough. I'm not dumb either, so don't try to deny it," she told him.

Graverobber groaned inwardly. He knew there would be a day he would talk to her about it, but he didn't know she would ask him now. He let out a heavy sigh.

"I owe GeneCo," he said grimly. He shook at his own past and what resulted him into owing his life to GeneCo. He survived for so long because not only he had street smarts, but he was also great at hiding too. Nobody would know when he would pop up. And of course, he was _almost_ always a step ahead. Almost. He was ever rarely ever caught. He had such great luck, but Rotti must have known. Nobody could ever hide from a lurking monster like him.

"And before you ask, I'm not telling," Graverobber answered before Shilo could ask what he he had done to owe GeneCo.

"Why not?" Her voice sounding soft, looking rather disappointed. Her glassy eyes were no longer as she had forgotten about her thoughts of the incident.

"I'm not ready. Not ready to tell anybody about it. Only one person knows and he's long dead. _Rotting_ under the dirt where he belongs," Graverobber said nonchalantly. Even though he sounded like he didn't mind, his hand clenched into a fist when he talked about the one man that knew about his secret.

"Is it Rotti Largo?" Shilo asked. She was too blinded by her curosity that she did not notice how Graverobber's fist turned a pale white by clenching even more than he did before. The subject was rather too delicate to Graverobber's taste.

"What made you think that?" He tried to say all too calmly.

"Just a guess," Shilo answered with a shrug. She looked up at Graverobber and held his clenched pale fist. An apologetic look spreads across her face. "Sorry about asking."

Graverobber let out a sigh and shrugged. He unclenched his fist and Shilo let go of his hand. He sat on top of the dumpster next to Shilo. And without a second thought, he took her hand in his. Both looked up at the darkened sky as they forgot about the conversation they both made for each other.

"If anything were to happen to me, will you miss me?" Shilo asked. Graverobber took his eyes off the tranquil silence and stared at her.

He smiled and said, "Lovebug, has anyone asked how beautiful you are?"

Shilo rolled her eyes.

"Don't try to change the subject. I just want you to know I love you very much. I don't want you to miss me too much." Shilo smiled yet tears were already forming in her eyes. Graverobber grimaced before hugging her tightly against him.

"Of course, I will miss you. I don't know how much but I know I will," he told her comfortingly.

"I'm sorry," Shilo told him, maybe apologizing for the question or for something else. Graverobber knew something wrong was wrong when she asked, but he wondered what. He was quite worried, yet he wasn't going to tell Shilo that.

Meanwhile, Lina was sleeping peacefully on the couch. Before she knew it, she had gone into slumber and forgetting about her duties. Nate took up the responsibilities instead by taking care of the triplets and the children except for the child assassin. Lina forbade him to ever go there unless he wanted a stern scolding from her. Nate didn't seem to mind the responsibilities though. After all, his parents forced him into labor ever since he could remember and watching the children isn't that bad. As a matter of fact, he is joyful that he could be of use in some way.

It wasn't Lina's idea to give him the responsibility. It was actually Pavi that asked him. He gladly accepted and made sure no noise was made during his watch. Nate understood Lina needed the rest.

As Nate was busying himself tending to the needs of the children, Pavi sat on the floor and laid his head on the couch Lina was resting on. He watched Lina's sleeping form with such fascination in his eyes. He wanted to touch her, lay his head on her bossom, and smell her scent. She looked beautiful, such a perfect scene before him.

As if a force controlled him, he had gotten closer to her face. He could feel his lips almost touching hers, those soft pink lips. Before he could even take action, Lina woke up and accidentally hit him while she stretched. Pavi fell back from not being hit but from surprise. Lina opened one of her eyes to see Pavi. She then opened her eyes and quirking her right brow.

"What are you doing on the floor?" She asked, her voice a little rough from her nap.

"The Pavi is... uh... stretching his back?" He answered. Lina looked over at him questioningly but shook her head.

"I might have taken that answer if you didn't make it sound like a question," she told him before wiping the sleep from her eyes. "How long did I sleep?"

"Oh, around three hours," Pavi said smiling. He stood up and patted off the imaginary dirt on himself while Lina's eyes bulged from the statement.

"Why the heck did you not wake me up?" She half yelled before getting up. By that time, Nate came downstairs and entered the living room from taking care of the triplets. It seemed the triplets liked Nate.

"How was your nap, Lina? I took care of everything, so you don't need to worry," Nate told her. Lina stared for several seconds before she just fell back on the couch and shook her head.

"Thanks Nate, but you guys should have woken me up," she said before yawning.

"Well, you looked like you needed the sleep," Nate said innocently, standing next to Pavi. Lina rolled her eyes.

"I need to be more alert. My job is to protect you guys. If anything happened to any of you, I-" Lina started but couldn't finish the sentence. She looked at the both of them and her eyes softened. "If anything happens to me, protect each other, will you?"

Pavi and Nate felt their bodies shiver. In an instant, they hugged her. Lina cringed at the contact but allowed them to do so. She could feel the tears forming in her eyes but did not let them fall.

"Nothing is going to happen to you, bella. The Pavi will make sure of it," Pavi told her, grasping her a little tighter against him.

"Yeah, Pavi and I and everyone will protect you too," Nate told her. Lina let out a small smile before getting away from their hug. She chuckled before rummaging Nate's hair and laid her head on Pavi's shoulder. Pavi wrapped an arm around her waist.

"You guys are such lovable idiots," Lina told them and stopped going through Nate's hair. Nate and Pavi took no offense to the statement, but they did smile at it.

"Love you too, Lina/bella," Nate and Pavi said in unison. Lina chuckled as the boys smiled at her.

After Mia and Luigi were done with their... activities, they laid on the bed of their hotel. Luigi's arm was on top of Mia's stomach while Mia's head was on the right side of his shoulder.

"That was amazing. No one can give me such a fantastic fuck like you," Luigi still panting from their love making.

Mia smiled and snuggled her cheek against him while grasping his hand beneath the sheets. There was a moment of silence before Mia spoke again.

"I love you, Luigi," she whispered. Luigi gave out a widened smile.

"You'd better," Luigi answered as a way to tell her he loved her as well. Mia smiled. Tears formed in her eyes, but she contained them from falling.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. Luigi looked down.

"Why are you apologizing for?" Luigi asked. Mia smiled sadly. Luigi could feel her smile against his skin though he would never see the pained expression she had on.

"That you didn't find someone to give you such satisfaction in love making before me," she lied. She started snuggling against him, and it made Luigi get turned on and ready for another round. Mia could feel it, and she smiled.

"How about another round?" She purred near his ear.

And they did.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N**: Another long waiting update and I deeply apologize for that. I would like to thank **CockneyBird3** (lol, I'm sure you aren't the only one who wants Luigi, and I do apologize for not writing out the love making scenes. I'm just far too uncomfortable to write such a delicate scene), **lumivalko** (lol, thanks for your praise. I thought long and hard of a way to write it and found this particular phrase to be close enough to the way Graverobber's attitude. He's not the kind to be emotionally attached even though I would say the same thing for the Largo brothers. I just feel Graverobber isn't as easily affected as Luigi and Pavi would be since it seems he's somewhat hard to get close to even if he is more friendly than the Largos), **Emoen** (Oh, thanks for such a lovely praise, but I think I've gotten rusty in this chapter though. I love sweet chapters, but I wanted to give that dark feeling as well), **UroborosTyrant** (Thank you! I will try my best), and **Th3b3atlesroxmyworld** (Oh my, thank you for going through my story with such determination. I am grateful for dedicated readers like you, so I will try my best to not waste your effort) for the reviews. In this chapter, there is a new rival for Pavi for Lina. If you think Pierre is bad enough, you thought wrong. If there is a bonus you would like me to write about of one of the characters' past, please do not hesitant to ask. If I can, I will write it for you. ^-^. And one last thing, I am quite sure this series will have less chapters than the prequel. Well, thank you for your time and please enjoy.

Chapter Eight

A week and a half had passed, making it two weeks and a half since the triplets, the child assassin, and the Repo Man had stayed. The Repo Man was still in his coma and most of them seemed to forget his existence. But for the women of the Wallace residence, it was another tiring day to them. They had more on their plate than they had thought. It had not been that hard for the first week and a half, but the triplets started to become more restless, and nothing could calm them even Shilo's lullabies no longer work. They tried to figure out what was wrong. Mia found nothing wrong with them medically, so Mia figured it must have been something setting them off.

"Maybe it's better to get a pediatrician, just in case," Shilo recommended. Mia nodded in agreement.

"I agree, and I am sure a second opinion is worth it," Mia added.

Lina crossed her arms and scoffed as if against the idea.

"Yeah, but this place is low on pediatricians. The ones that are worth it or long dead. What's worse is people blindly follow what those greedy bastards say whether it is a false diagnosis or not," Lina told them. Mia smirked and wagged her finger at Lina.

"Have you forgotten?" Mia started, "What you can't find, I can."

Lina's eye twitched and anger slowly started forming inside her. And before she knew it, she pounded her hand on the table.

"Then why don't you figure out who is behind the murders and the one who called me to meet those dead bodies?" Lina scowled quietly.

Shilo sighed and shook her head. She knew well that Lina's bad temper was due to the piling pressure from the dead Repo bodies that started again. Not only that, there was also a change in the murdered victims. Not only were Repo Men killed but GeneCops as well.

"Lina, calm down. I know being out there to meet dead bodies is making you restless, but lashing out isn't going to help anybody," Shilo said calmly, trying to stay as unnerved as she could. She also felt restless from her own pile of duties to take care of. And sometimes, she just wants to break down.

"I'm just too damn tired. This case needs to be closed soon. We have taken far too long trying to find out who the mastermind is. And I am damn sure that kid doesn't know who he is either. We're going nowhere fast, and things aren't looking up for our side. Pierre and Louis are drained from their day jobs as well as working for us. I won't let their bodies shut down because of this bastard we are trying to chase down," Lina ranted, feeling a little relieved after getting it out of her chest. "I'm done with my rant."

"Good. Now, we can go back to the triplets. I will make an appointment, and we can figure out what is wrong with them," Mia told Shilo, completely disregarding Lina's rant. Lina didn't seem to mind though, knowing full well she would get this sort of reaction.

"Okay," Shilo simply answered, slightly nervous as to how Mia could completely ignore Lina's sudden thoughts.

By that time, Emma lunged through the kitchen door. The young girl seemed to be shivering from fear, and her eyes were full of dread. Lina immediately stood up followed by Shilo and Mia. Shilo immediately rushed to Emma's side.

"Mommy! Mommy! The evil man is waking up!" Emma told her with worry. Their eyes shifted towards each other, and they knew who Emma meant.

And of course, the three women quickly got out of the kitchen. Lina seemed to sprint to get to the living room. Thankfully, the guys were there to watch over the stirring Repo Man, but it didn't make it any less worrisome. The Repo Man seemed to still be lying on the ground, but there was an audible groan escaping his lips. It finally meant he was coming out of his coma. Lina's eyes darkened immediately and laid a foot on top of the man's chest.

"Uh, Lina? What are you doing?" Shilo asked, though she seemed rather relieved when Lina did so.

"Making sure I'm doing my work," Lina answered roughly.

"Auntie Lina, you look scary," Emma said quietly, shivering at Lina's cold expression. Lina snapped out of her heartless side and looked over at Emma with a smile.

"Hehehe, sorry about that," Lina told her while she rubbed the back of her head nervously.

The Repo Man started to stir again and this time his groan became more louder. Nate, Emma, and Shilo winced as his body started moving. Lina seethed in anger, remembering the Repo Man.

"Hurry and wake up already, you bas-" Lina yelled but was cut of by Shilo.

"Lina, language," Shilo scolded. Lina rolled her eyes and put pressure on her foot on top of the Repo Man instead. The Repo Man grunted in response. Feeling satisfied, she eased the pressure of her foot on top of him.

Lina looked over at the Largo brothers oddly.

"You guys don't seem to mind me treating your Repo Man badly," Lina said. The Repo Man groaned once again, and everyone wondered when he was going to be fully conscious.

Luigi shrugged with indifference while Pavi just merely smiled cheerily like usual. Shilo shivered at how uncaring they are to their employees. Graverobber held her hand and squeezed it comfortingly. Shilo looked up at him, and she saw him wink at her with his usual grin on his face. Shilo gave him a small smile in return. She turned back to the Repo Man on the ground.

"If he got defeated by a kid, he deserves to get some punishment," Luigi answered, crossing his arms in disgust just thinking about it.

The Repo Man finally seemed to be fully aware as he tried to sit up, but Lina's foot held him in place.

"Wha-? Get off of me!" The Repo Man growled but he felt his whole body ached.

"Like I would," Lina told him before leaning in for her face to be close to the Repo Man's, "Don't try anything funny."

Pavi's smile seemed to have faltered for a tiny bit when he noticed how close Lina's face was to the Repo Man's face. Luigi noticed and rolled his eyes and patted his brother's shoulder a little too hard. Pavi knew it was Luigi's way to tell him not to worry. Luigi rarely ever showed any affection to him, and Pavi was pretty surprised from it. It took him a second before Pavi came out of his shock.

"_Brother has changed, and the Pavi seems to have changed as well_," Pavi thought. He felt uncomfortable about the thought of change. Before he could think any further, he was snapped back to reality from Lina's voice. By that time, Lina was no longer leaning over him.

"Since you are finally awake, leave," Lina told the Repo Man.

The Repo Man grunted, searching for his weapons but found them gone.

Lina smirked and said, "Your weapons are under our possession."

"You-!" He yelled. He seemingly looked up at her and his whole body suddenly tensed. He did not continue which made Lina quirk her brow. "What is your name?"

Lina looked silently at him for a moment and looked over at the others as if trying to confirm she heard right. They all seemed to have the same questioning looks. Lina turned back to the Repo Man suspiciously.

"Are you Lina Masters?" The Repo Man suddenly asked after he did not get a reply. Lina's eyes widened and so did the rest of the group other than the children and the Repo Man (though his mask was still on).

"How did the fu-freak do you know my name?" Lina yelled, leaning quickly over to the Repo Man and her hand clutched around the Repo Man's neck, enough to contain him but not enough to choke him.

"So it really is you!" The Repo Man said excitedly, ignoring Lina's sudden action. He took off his mask to show a startling handsome young man around Shilo's age. Lina winced at his positive attitude and everyone else was rather surprised even Mia seemed not to contain the shock.

Confused, the others looked at each other for answers and their stares went on Lina. Lina, on the other hand, locked her eyes solely on the Repo Man.

"Do I freaking know you?" Lina inquired with a hostile tone.

The Repo Man smiled, a large grin spreading across his face. It was almost in a snake-like smile, but Lina did not wince like Shilo did. Quite the opposite, really. She was more seemingly irritated.

"Answer my question," she told him while squeezing his neck in a warning manner.

He chuckled madly. Emma got scared and clung onto Shilo and Shilo hugged Emma in return. Shilo was shivering and was scared as well. She wondered if her father laughed like he did when he was insane.

"Well, I expect you would not know me since I was always your admirer when you were a GeneCop in the special division," the Repo Man answered chirpily. He licked his lips in a hungrily manner. "I've always wanted to meet you."

Lina glared at him for a moment and let go of his neck.

"Leave. You are just a mad man," Lina told him, moving her foot off him though her eyes were wary of him.

Since he was unconscious for so long and nobody helped to move his body, he could not exactly move his body. Lina rolled her eyes and helped him up. For a man, he was quite light. When she let go of him, he whined like a kid. Lina cringed and felt an odd familiarity to this kind of behavior.

Pavi felt oddly jealous and got to Lina's side and pulled her to him. Lina looked over at Pavi, who was staring warily at the Repo Man. Lina rolled her eyes and wondered if Pavi's possessiveness was necessary.

By that time, the Repo Man realized the Largo brothers were present though he didn't seem as shocked as he should. Luigi scowled and found the Repo Man was surely unstable if he admired the crazy woman

"Mr. Largo and Mr. Largo, why are you here?" Repo Man inquired but returned his gaze on Lina, who was none too happy that he was trying to stall.

"The Pavi and his brother are on business. It is time that you should leave, no?," Pavi told him with a fake smile on his face.

"Yeah. You screwed up by getting hurt by a kid. Your punishment is waiting for you at GeneCo, so hurry up and leave," Luigi told him while he crossed his arms. Luigi still could not believe a Repo Man had been bested by a child.

Repo Man pouted and looked over at Lina with want. She could feel her temple throbbing in irritation at the young man before her. He was quite a tall handsome man with black medium-length hair. His most unique feature were his jade green eyes though one of his eyes were covered by his side fringe. If anything, Lina was reminded of a black panther in the middle of the night.

Pavi noticed Lina's stare had been lingering for far to long on the Repo Man. He was filled with jealousy as a frown was evident on his face. Pavi rarely ever frowns. He grasped Lina's hand suddenly, hoping it would take her eyes off of the Repo Man and onto him. He wanted to see her delicious chocolate colored orbs. And as expected, she took her eyes off of the Repo Man and onto his own brown orbs.

Those eyes seemed to always find a way to penetrate him. He could feel himself weakened by just one look. They were always so vibrant, so expressive. He wanted all of her attention. Nobody was allowed to take her loving gaze from him. He felt himself glow when Lina gave him a small smile and squeezed his hand lightly. A signal to show him him he did not need to worry.

And he wonders. He wonders what she is doing to him. He wonders if she knew how different she is than those other women Pavi's been with. He wonders if she would ever know how much he yearns for her. And one last important thought, he wonders if she knew how close Pavi is about to give up his lifestyle for her.

A cough interrupted his thoughts and their gaze was taken away by the Repo Man clearing his throat. He looked frustrated and his eyes lingered on Lina's and Pavi's hand intertwined for a moment and then locked eyes with Lina once again.

"I will visit. The name is Eric Hale. Don't forget it Lina Masters," he told her with a different tone in his voice. He turned around and his hand clutched into a fist. Before he left though, Lina spoke once again making him stop.

"I'll have your weapons delivered to you at GeneCo," Lina told him. Even though his back was to her, he turned his head sideways and gave a curt nod. He went back to leaving though he was still too stiff to walk like normal. Just as he went beyond the gates, he turned around to look at the Wallace house with a dark look.

"_So he can take my woman away from me, does he? Even if you are a Largo, I will destroy you_," Eric thought darkly and left.

Just as he had gone, Lina sighed and used her vacant hand to rub the back of her head in frustration.

"_Great! I attract weirdos_," Lina thought. She looked at Pavi for a moment, which Pavi turned his attention back to her because of it. Lina automatically avoided his gaze and sighed. "_I guess I really do attract weirdos_."


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: This chapter is the only chapter that I have written that seems so out of place, but it just felt... I don't know how to explain it. This is another Pavi and Lina chapter. I've got to say there's a lot of shift of emotions in this chapter. I would like to thank **OroborosTyrant** (Lol, I'm sure it's a good thing but if you are the kind that is a crazy mass murderer then that would be bad) and **Emoen** (lol, so true. I guess being weird is the norm in Repo World) for reviewing. You two are always so faithful in reviewing and I'm so thankful to you guys. I would also like to say one major thing not to you two but to those who gave me negative messages. **Rant starts here**: If you are to message me saying my characters are over-the-top or they aren't realistic then I must say that I never intended to make them realistic and I do know they are over-the-top. I intended them to be that way to make it easier for me to add humor to the story because of the way they are. I'm not the kind to add too much seriousness in a chapter though I may have to in the future. And no, I do not think my story line is "stupid", "meaningless" or "utter crap". It has its quirks which I do agree and will not deny, but I will be offended if you speak ill of it as if it is a piece of garbage. Any writer would be offended by such words, so please be careful of the words you put forth. I know the difference between constructive criticism and insults. And just adding "just saying" at the end of an insult (this didn't happen to me, but I've seen it happen before) does not make the insult sound any better or lessen the hurt given off to the writer. **End of Rant**. I have decided to make this officially my last rant in the story. Other than that, thank you for taking the time to read and please enjoy. And of course, reviews are always welcome.

Chapter Nine

He whined. Over and over again. She, on the other hand, was annoyed and tried her best to ignore him. Unfortunately, his whining started to go up another notch while his body started rubbing against her on the couch.

"If you don't stop this, I'm going to hit you face-stealer," Lina growled. Pavi frowned and pretended to cry.

"Please. Pretty please, bella," Pavi begged. He had gotten closer to her with his eyes gleaming pleadingly. "It's only the two of us except for _that_ child in the house. The Pavi promises nobody would know except for us, and _that_ child is upstairs so he wouldn't hear anything. And even if he does, he cannot speak."

Lina rolled her eyes before she got close to his face and said, "N-O means no." She leaned back to her original position and folded her arms.

"Why not, amore?" He pouted.

"Because I don't want to," Lina growled though there was a light pinkish shade going across her cheeks.

Pavi noticed and slightly giggled. He held her around her waist and his nose nudged against where her shoulder meets the neck. He could smell her usual undescribable scent and his whole body shivered in need to do much more. He licked his lips as if they were dry, and there was hunger in his eyes. Usually, he would take action, but he held in his sexual needs for the woman in front of him.

Lina felt his nose against her. And as he took in her scent, she could feel the ticklish feeling as he breathed out through his nose against her skin. The tickle, though, made her spine tingle. If she was her usual self, she would have pushed him away, but she didn't this time.

"Bella does not need to be shy. We have been together for a while now, so it is okay for lovers to go this far," Pavi said sensually.

Lina sighed before she lightly pushed him away. Pavi did not object this time as they both sat up and looked at each other.

"Okay, I give, you damn bastard," Lina told him with frustration running across her face, but a light smile formed soon after.

Pavi let out a gleeful smile and hugged her like she was some sort of doll. Lina could feel her right temple throbbing in irritation, but Pavi did not seem to notice. She let out another sigh, but this time it was full of frustration. She lightly pushed him away, but he did not mind.

"Now, let's start, mia bella." His finger touched the bottom of her chin. She slapped his hand away, and Pavi winced and pulled his hand away.

She looked away shyly and there was a pinkish tint running across her cheeks once more. Pavi felt breathless at the rare scene and mentally took a picture of it. He felt his face suddenly starting to turn warm. Was he blushing?

She turned back to look at him, and he went back to pull up his smiling mask. Even if he loved her, he was not ready to let her see his real feelings. Unlike his brother, he was afraid to show them.

"P-P-Pavi," Lina whispered and then immediately looked away. Pavi was shocked for short moment before smiling again, but he was rejoicing with excitement inside. He hugged her tightly against himself with the powerful feeling of wanting it to stay this way. But he knew, he would have to let her go. But for now, he was going to hold onto her long enough for who knows how long. She finally called his name like he always wanted.

"Lina, il mio amore, voglio amarti sempre (Lina, my love, I love you forever). Si prega di rimanere sempre a fianco di Pavi (Please remain by Pavi's side)," Pavi whispered, blowing against Lina's ear. It sent shivers down her spine, but she wondered what he had said.

"What the heck did you say?" Lina scowled though she wasn't at all angry. Her cheeks turned a little red.

Pavi let out a devilish smile and said, "It is the Pavi's secret."

She grunted unhappily but let it rest. She didn't have the energy to go against him, and Pavi secretly knew.

"You'd better keep your word," Lina mumbled.

"The Pavi is greatly pleased to hear the bella say the Pavi's name with her lips," he told her before kissing the top of her head. It was actually the first time he had ever done so, but he found the meaning much more intimate than he thought. Lina was rather surprised and the shade had gotten more red than before.

"D- don't do that!" Lina yelled, her eyes shifting away from him while feeling somewhat embarrassed.

"Why not, bella? No one will see us," he said innocently. Lina sighed before pushing him away completely.

They both looked at each other in the eyes, and Lina felt so much pain looking into those brown orbs of his. She didn't understand why but they seemed somewhat cold under the caring and tenderness.

"Am I a new experiment to you?" Lina finally asked, her expression serious yet sad.

Pavi was caught by surprise just for a moment before Pavi smiled and laughed it off.

"Bella, why would ask the Pavi such a thing? The Pavi loves you," he told her gently. Lina felt hurt as it sounded so forced. So scared.

"If you become bored with me, will you abandon me?" Lina asked another one.

Pavi felt his whole body shiver as her tone seemed so empty. Was she trying to test him?

"Bella, don't joke around, it isn't funny," Pavi said rather flustered.

"If I were to disappear at any moment, will you miss me?"

Pavi felt agitated now, but he did not show it. He wondered why she was asking such questions and wondered why it hurt him so. When other women asked him, he would lie with a straight face on and he would feel unperturbed. But why? Why does this woman before him make his stomach ill when she asked those questions towards him? And why does he not answer to soothe her worries.

"Pavi, I am sure you don't truly love me, but I don't think I would care because I love you," Lina said with such honesty though her cheeks had a tinge of red in them. "I am only asking because I want you to know I am not an experiment but a human being with feelings. And if you are to be bored with me, just kill me like the ones you had gotten rid of. And if I did disappear and if you did have feelings for me, don't miss me."

Tears started to form in Lina's eyes as did Pavi. He did not realize it until he felt drips of something wet on his face did he realize he was crying. He shouldn't be able to cry, not for something like this. He suddenly hugged Lina as to not let her see he was crying true tears. Why did such answers from her hurt him this much? He had only known her for a few weeks now, and they had not dated long. So why? Why did those answers make him so riled up?

"And if possible, don't use the word "love" so carelessly or else you would end up killing me faster. I don't want a false lie," she whispered sadly, knowing full well it hurts for her to tell him because it was the truth. Pavi's eyes widened at the comment. He could feel his hands shivering. Was he afraid? But why?

He suddenly started to chuckle though it sounded quite odd to Lina's ear as if there was some sort of pain underneath it. She was about to pull away to check, but Pavi's grasp on her tightened. Even though he was smiling, his expression showed pain and hurt.

"_I'm sorry_," Pavi thought. He quickly wiped away his tears.

"Face-stealer?" Lina questioned.

"Make love to me," he told her, his voice frighteningly deeper. Lina was surprised at the sudden order but snapped back to reality quickly.

"No," she answered sternly.

"The Pavi does not like to be turned down," Pavi said before he quickly took out his switch blade. He lightly pushed her away and held it to her face though not enough to cut.

Lina saw it and her eyes widened for a second but quickly turned serious.

"Is that any way to treat your girlfriend?" Lina scowled.

"The Pavi has had enough of the bella's torture."

Lina chuckled before she suddenly took the knife in her hand and blood immediately started to form. Pavi's eyes widened at the grab and looked over from the knife to Lina's face. They were emotionless. Empty. Dead.

"B-bella! S-stop! Let go!" Pavi yelled frantically, immediately letting go of the knife and she immediately dropped it onto the floor. Her blood continuing to drip from her bloodied hand to the ground. Pavi immediately took off his shirt and held it under her hand before she took it herself and wrapped it around her wound. He didn't care if his shirt was dirty as long as it stopped her bleeding.

"Don't forget I'm not like other women. I don't panic when someone puts a knife against me," Lina said venomously. Pavi shivered at this side of her. The way she seemed ready to kill.

"W-will the bella hurt me?" Pavi questioned. He was afraid she would hurt him. But after he asked that question, her eyes softened yet hurt he would think that. Pavi was confused of the creature before him. She had gone from cute, to dark, and then to being soft all in one day.

"Why did you do it?" Lina asked, "Why did you pull a knife against me?"

"The Pavi wanted to scare the bella into doing what he pleases," Pavi confessed truthfully. Lina sighed and shook her head.

"Was it worth it? To feel like you had power again?" Lina inquired once again before she stood up. She did not wait for an answer and continued on. "For your punishment, you will not get close to me for three days." She turned around, her back now facing him.

Pavi was shocked and with a stutter, he said, "I-i-is th-th-that all?"

Lina turned her head sideways and frowned.

"Then would you like to break up?" She asked.

Pavi shook his head immediately.

"N-no. Pavi does not want to, but Pavi thought bella would do worse," he answered. Lina smiled and shook her head.

"If I did, you would have not lived this long," she told him.

"Why does the bella not break up with Pavi then?" He asked, feeling oddly uncomfortable as he did.

Lina turned around and gave him a smirk while one hand laid on her hip.

"Didn't you hear what I said? I said I love you, and possibly because I want to see how long we can last before you want to break it up," Lina told him. "Well, do you have any other questions? Because, you know, I need to tend to this injury or would you like it to get infected."

Pavi immediately shook his head and Lina chuckled. She turned away yet there is a frown placed on her lips. Pain was evident on her face, but Pavi would never see it.

"Remember, you can't touch me for three days," Lina told him before she exited the living room to the upstairs.

Pavi sighed and looked to the ground to see _her_ blood. The blood she held from _his_ knife. He winced and went into the kitchen for a towel. He let it soak in the water before twisting it to let the water out. He returned to the living room, kneeled, and started scrubbing off the blood with such speed and force. There was something that made him sickly ill from this. Sudden flashbacks appeared in his mind of all the women he took faces from or had murdered by his own bloody hands. He shook his head, wondering why such flashbacks appeared all of a sudden. He stopped scrubbing when at the end of his flashback, he saw Lina. Dead.

He cringed and looked down to see his hands soaked with blood. He shook his head and closed his eyes. His hands automatically holding his head and scrunching his hair as he did so. He opened his eyes and looked at his hands again to see his hands no longer had blood. He wondered what was wrong with him.

He heard footsteps and shook away his problems and started scrubbing the knife on the ground and folded back into its closed position. Just as he did so, Lina came through the living room again and saw Pavi on the ground where her blood should be. She noticed the wet towel stained with blood on the ground and looked at Pavi questioningly.

"Never thought you were the kind to clean up a mess," Lina said jokingly. Pavi felt his body tremble and turned around with a fake smile on his face towards her.

"The Pavi does not want to feel the bella's wrath," Pavi told her. Lina shrugged and kneeled against him.

"I'll take over now. Why don't you go get a new shirt?" Lina told him. Pavi took a side glance at her bandaged hand and winced. For some reason, this injury seemed to hurt Pavi even though he didn't seem to really care from her injuries she had before. "I guess I will have to pay you back for staining your shirt with my blood."

Pavi stared at her for a moment and then looked away.

"Can the bella wash the Pavi's shirt? The Pavi would like it to be returned to the Pavi."

Lina's brow quirked up and she looked at him questioningly once more.

"Why the heck would you want to keep it? It's dirty and the stain would still be there," Lina told him. Pavi smiled and shrugged.

"Because it is the Pavi's favorite shirt," he half-lied before he got up and left. Lina stared at his back and shook her head.

"This guy is hard to figure out. But then again, I'm no better," she murmured to herself before sighing and shaking her head.

The Next Day...

"But the Pavi wants to hug the bella!" Pavi whined. Lina's arm was out stretched while she held out a broomstick preventing Pavi from getting anywhere near her. "I want to feel the bella's warmth."

"Well, too bad, that's your punishment," Lina scowled.

"Um... what is going on?" Shilo asked while she watched Lina's and Pavi's antics.

Mia crossed her arms and shrugged, "A lover's spat."

"Oh, okay," Shilo simply said before going back to dusting. It wasn't until she got to a certain part of the living room floor did she notice a red stain. Shilo's expression changed into that of anger. "Okay, who stained the floor?"

Lina and Pavi paused for a moment before their eyes averted away from Shilo, hoping she did not notice. And of course, it was a little obvious. Shilo groaned, touching her throbbing right temple. She decided it wasn't worth it to ask what happened or what the stain is.

Not before long, Lina had remembered she wanted to say something.

"Hey, I was thinking about freeing the kid," she announced.

Everyone paused and looked over at her. Some held shock others looked at her as if she was crazy. Lina rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"I think he's stable enough to be free from his ties. And of course, I'll be keeping watch over him. So what do you guys think?" Lina asked, looking over at Shilo since she was the head of the house.

Everyone turned to look at Shilo for her answer since she has the final say. Shilo looked nervous from their sudden stare and started to find the floor seem very interesting, especially the stain. She took some of that time to think and then looked up at Lina.

"I trust your decision, Lina, so you can do whatever is best. But can you wait until tomorrow to free him?" She asked. Lina smiled and nodded. Luigi and Pavi thought it was a stupid decision while Graverobber and Mia seemed indifferent about the decision since it wasn't their responsibility.

**A/N**: Hehehe, if you guys thought at the beginning they were going to do some *wink* *wink* then I guess tricked you and you guys have such dirty minds. But then again, I don't think I could trick some of you guys since they are almost overused and you could see through the trick. And another would be that you are pure and innocent and thought nothing of it. I seriously didn't think nothing of it since the purpose was for Lina to call his name. But as I reread it, it sounded a little perverted. -_-''.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:** Ah, this is mostly about the child assassin when he's no longer tied up. Aww, I think someone has a crush on the child assassin. It's been a while I have updated this fast, so please be nice. Thanks to **UroborosTyrant** (I just can't see Pavi and Lina being angery to each other for too long. Ah, as for you being Head Repo Man, I hope you will give me a painless death when you repossess my organs), **MotherGothelFan1 **(No worries. I understand how busy everyone is. I'm busy myself and don't have time to read other people's stories as well. And of course, thank you for liking them. Take your time), and **Emoen** (I like the awkwardness and their funny moments actually. I guess I wanted them to be the comic relief couple when they are together. And of course, they need a time to be serious as well. I had to put Pavi's crazy self in there somewhere. It wouldn't feel right to give that part a chance in the story. Thank you for liking the last chapter) for the reviews. Well, I have to say though, and I'm sure you guys have noticed, but I'm starting to feel like not continuing the story. I will try to beat this feeling out of me, so I could really finish the story. For now, happy reading and please enjoy. I wish I had sweets for finishing these chapters.

Chapter Ten

The silent boy had finally be free from the ties that bind him. Now, he sat in the living room couch with all the adults staring at him. Nate and the children had stayed in the room because they were not allowed to until the adults gave them permission to do so.

The silent child stared at each person carefully while he skipped Lina. His eyes narrowed as if trying to examine each person carefully. He scowled when he met the face of Luigi and did not seem hostile towards Pavi. Luigi scowled back. Pavi giggled and focused back to the mirror belonging to him. Pavi snuck a side glance towards Lina. He had another day until he could finally get close and touch his beloved. He missed her scent and mostly touching her.

When the child was done, Lina started stretching and cracking her knuckles. She looked at the child for a moment and let out a smirk while crossing her arms. And for some reason, it made the child growl lightly. He hated how she was showing her superiority towards him but did nothing. He had been reminded the times he had been slapped on the back of his head for trying to bite her hand on multiple occassions. And every time he did so, he would barely miss her.

"Well, let's get started, Kid. You've got two choices; you either stay here and follow the ground rules or be taken away by GeneCops and be treated as a prisoner or whatever they will do to you," Lina said, straight to the point. The child glared at her, but she seemed unfazed.

It didn't take him long to think, but his right index finger went up to show he picked the first choice. Lina chuckled and nodded with approval before she ruffled his hair. The boy grunted in annoyance but she ignored it. After a few seconds, she stopped and turned around to meet the gaze of the other adults.

"You can give him the ground rules now, Shilo," Lina told her. She then sat next the child and crossed her legs. The child stared at her but did not mind her companionship. After all, he spent most of the time with her, without a choice. And for some reason, he felt safe when she is around.

Shilo looked nervous for a moment. but when Lina nodded with reassurance, Shilo took a deep breath and let it out, feeling a bit more relieved. She looked at the boy kindly. The boy took his eyes off of Lina and turned to meet the woman named Shilo. His intense gaze at her made Shilo nervous again, but she wouldn't allow herself to succumb to the fear.

"You are not allowed in any way try to kill anyone in this house," Shilo said. She didn't know what else to add so Lina continued for her.

"In this house, you are no longer an assassin. You are a child, so enjoy being a child. You will do whatever Shilo says. She will be educate you like the rest of the children. You can interact with the rest of the children. Do not cause trouble. And of course, you are not allowed to run away," Lina told the boy. The boy was already staring at her when she started to speak again. He nodded reluctantly when she finished and Lina let out a proud grin and ruffled his hair again. "Now, go into the children's room and greet them."

The boy nodded again but stayed in place. Lina looked at the boy questioningly, wondering why the boy did not move. The rest of the adults thought the same except for Mia who knew.

"You need to take him there," Mia told Lina. Lina looked over to her for a second and then looked over at the boy.

"Is that what you want?" Lina asked, the boy nodded slowly. Lina frowned for a second and the boy wondered what she was going to do next. She chuckled suddenly, surprising the boy. "You should have told me. Here, take my hand, I'll take you."

Lina showed her hand to him. The boy stared at it for a bit before he slowly and carefully put his hand on hers. She smiled and grasp his hand but not enough to hurt him. He looked at their hands and he slowly and carefully did the same. She stood up when he returned the gesture. He copied her once again, and they both walked into the children's room.

The adults watched with curiosity while some watched in amusement, especially Pavi and Mia.

"Guess bella would have another lost puppy following her," Pavi said with a smile. Luigi winced at how creepy it looked but refused to say anything.

"Che, only foolish people would follow such a crazy woman," Luigi said, crossing his arms. Pavi frowned at the comment.

"The bella is not a crazy woman, brother. She is a good woman. You are blinded to this fact, brother," Pavi said.

"Only you fucking think that, foolish brother," Luigi retorted.

Meanwhile, Lina pushed the boy lightly to the rest of the children, who were aware of Lina and the new boy when they came inside.

"Okay, children. This boy is part of our family now. Everyone greet him and act normally towards him. He may not be able to speak, but I am sure you guys can find a way to communicate," Lina said energetically with a smitten look.

The children happily smiled and nodded. Emma was the first to greet him.

"Hi! My name is Emma. What's yours?" Emma said, letting out her hand. The boy glared at her and bit her hand. Emma yelped and cried, taking back her hand. All the children were surprised and angry. The youngest girl, Amy, pounded her fists against the silent boy though it did not hurt him. He glared intensely at her but she glared in return.

"Bad boy! Don't hurt Emma!" The six year old Amy shouted and then suddenly took a big bite on his hand.

The boy scowled and kicked Amy in the stomach. Amy cried and it wasn't long before Lina took the silent boy by the back of his shirt and yanked him hard. He fell back on the ground with a big thump. He looked up to see Lina with an unhappy expression on her face. He looked down, feeling rather bad.

"Everyone calm down!" She orderd with such authority. "Tom take Emma and Amy to Mia. You go with them too, boy." She looked over at the silent boy. "Stand up and go."

Tom nodded and helped the crying Emma and Amy leave. Tom glared at the silent boy and then turned his head away. The silent boy followed behind. His head hanging low. Lina watched them leave and she sighed while shaking her head in disapproval.

Mia and Shilo was startled to find the four children coming out and seeing Emma crying and holding her hurt hand while Amy rubbed her stomach lightly as if it would help to reduce the pain.

"Aunt Mia, that boy," Tom started and pointed at the child assassin, "He bit Emma. Amy then bit him back. He then kicked Amy in the stomach. Lina told me to take them to you."

Mia nodded at his explanation and told him to go back inside the room. Tom nodded and left to return to the children's room though he took one more glance at Emma and then went inside. Lina then came out after calming the angry children. She walked up to the silent boy with a glare.

"After this is done, you are going to get punished. But first, Mia will tend to your hand and then you are going to apologize right after. Do you understand me, boy?" Lina told him. The boy glared at her for a moment but nodded reluctantly.

"Lina," Shilo started, looking at her Lina with a worried look. Lina understood and sighed.

"I know," Lina answered with an aggravated look.

The boy soon started to feel terrible from Lina's expression, understanding he had disappointed her in acting that way. He didn't understand why disappointing her made him unhappy.

"Kid, I want to know if you learned your lesson?" Lina asked the boy. She had a kind yet stern expression on her face. When he looked up and saw it, he had no choice but to nod.

When Mia finished tending Emma's and Amy's injury, Emma had stopped crying and instead started to sniffle. Mia then tended the boy's hand quietly. Emma didn't take the bite to heart and gently smiled at the boy. The boy looked at her questioningly and didn't understand how she could smile at him for what he did. Emma and Amy returned to the room immediately after Shilo told them to do so.

"She forgives you, you idiot," Lina told him when he watched her go inside.

The boy looked at her. His head slightly tilted to the left with his right brow going up. He did not understand. Lina rolled her eyes and sighed.

It didn't take long for Mia to finish, and Lina took his hand that wasn't hurt and almost dragged him inside the children's room. The children quieted and stared at the boy angrily except for Emma and Nate.

Lina looked over at the boy and said, "Since you can't say your apologies, I want you to bow your head."

He looked over at her, seemingly reluctant to apologize. He was told apologies made a person weak, and he did not want to become weak. He just stood there, doing nothing. Lina sighed and shook her head.

"If you are unwilling, then I'm setting you free. To me, you are a good kid, but being like this means you won't change for the better. I am also not heartless enough to give you to those GeneCops. But you best remember, Kid, if I ever see you harm a person again, I will not be so nice. I can be very heartless even to a child," Lina told him. The boy somehow cringed at her dark expression. He knew from that look that she meant it.

He opened his mouth but had forgotten he could not speak. He didn't know how to communicate to her. He soon felt flushed and annoyed for not being able to speak. Lina saw his frustration and ruffled his hair. He looked up to see a smiling Lina. He didn't know what to say. She was angry one second and then suddenly became nice.

"Are you going to apologize now?" She asked. The boy took a second and nodded. She smiled and patted his back a little too hard since everyone could hear the smacking sound.

The boy turned to everyone and then set his eyes on Emma before bowing his head in apology and then bowed towards Amy for kicking her. Emma smiled and clapped lightly while trying not to touch her injury.

"He apologized, so it's all better," Emma said chirpily. The children looked over at her but they reluctantly forgave him since Emma forgave him. Nate just smiled and understood.

"Here, Kid," Lina said before giving him a notepad with a pencil, "Do you know how to write?"

The child looked up at her and nodded, taking the notepad and pencil from her hands. Lina smiled and gave an approving look.

"Okay, this will be your way for communicating," she told him, "Now, as for your punishment, you are going to do some chores like picking up the toys over there and put them in that box. When you are done, you will go to Shilo and do as she says. That is your punishment. And one more thing, I need you to give me a name. I can't call you, Kid, all the time."

When the boy took in all the information, he also agreed that being called Kid and Boy was rather annoying. He thought for a moment and then started to write something down in his notepad. He then showed it to Lina to read.

"I don't want to give my real name, but I want to be called Hero," he wrote. Lina started chuckling and nodded.

"All right. Hero, it is then," she told him and then looked to the children. She then placed each hand on each of Hero's shoulders. She smiled at the children and said, "Well, everyone, this is Hero, our newest member to our family."

After the greetings were done, Hero went straight to work and started putting the toys in the box. He was full of concentration that the other children went back to doing things except for Amy, who stared at him with such concentration.

Hero could feel someone staring at him and he looked up to see the girl that bit him. Their eyes met, and Amy continued to stare at him quietly with Hero doing the same. It took another few seconds before he looked away and started working again, ignoring Amy this time. Hero seemed to figure she was still angry at him for biting the one so-called Emma.

Emma looked over at Amy staring at Hero and started to giggle. Tom looked over at her, wondering what she was laughing at. He turned his head and followed her gaze to see she was looking at Amy staring at Hero. He scowled when he saw Hero. He seemed to not like the boy.

"Don't you think Amy and Hero look cute together?" Emma asked, smiling at Tom.

Tom turned to look at her as if she was crazy.

"He's dangerous," Tom simply answered.

Emma shrugged her shoulders.

"I only got bitten," she told him. Tom shook his head and wondered what went through Emma's head.

After Hero put the toys back in an orderly fashion, he had gone to Shilo to see what his next task was. All Shilo wanted him to do was sweep the floor in the kitchen. Usually, his punishment before he came to this place contained not eating for a few days and/or a beating with a whip or other blunt objects. Here, all he had to do were chores. It was quite strange to Hero to be punished like this. Most of his life consisted of killing. And if he did not meet the expectations of the higher ups, he would be punished greatly until he was almost dead. That was his life as an assassin. Here, these people were gentle even with Lina's small blows at him here and there.

When he was done with the chores, Shilo lightly patted his head for doing a good job and she told him so too. It was the first time someone told him that, and it made Hero feel a little happy. And for some reason, he immediately went to Lina's side when he had done. Lina looked over at him, chuckled, and nodded with approval towards him.

"Your punishment is over. You've done good, Hero. I'm sure you aren't used to this lifestyle, but you will get used to this soon enough," Lina told him with a proud smile and ruffled his hair. Hero grunted once more like he always did when she ruffled his hair, but all he got is another chuckle from Lina.

"Now, it's time for you to play with the children. Go on now," Lina said but Hero seemed a little hesitant. He wasn't sure if the other children were willing to play with him.

It was sudden but Amy walked to him and looked up at Hero with a glare. Hero stared at her, but he did not glare back at her. It only took a minute before Amy took his hand and dragged him to where the children were. Lina smiled and crossed her arms, looking rather amused.

"He will play with us!" Amy yelled at them. Emma smiled and welcome him with open arms. Nate nodded and smiled. Tom, Ryan, and Jake seemed a little reluctant but Amy gave them a look as if to tell them to play or else. They had no choice but to accept him.

Luckily, things started looking up after they played games for some time. Lina felt relaxed and found herself glad the children accepted him quickly unlike the adults that hold so much grudge. Maybe, for that reason, she had a soft spot for children. Even as tainted as they are, they were still children. With her background, she knew especially the boy needed some love and normalcy.

Before the children realized it, it was already time for dinner. The children started to go to the kitchen but went in line when they entered. Hero would stay in the back with Nate behind him and Amy in front of him. And for some reason, Amy held Hero's hand. Hero didn't seem to mind, thinking that this is a way for Amy to welcome people even though he wasn't used to it. Unknown to him, Amy was always the shy type, so this is the first time she had been so assertive to a newcomer.

When it was Hero's turn to get a plate, his heart started beating harder when he saw a knife. Something inside him stirred and an animalistic growl escaped his lips. His eyes started to see red. Lina immediately realized this and hid the knives away from him.

Shilo was surprised and looked at her questioningly.

"Amy, let him go!" Lina yelled. Amy stared at Lina strangely before she could feel a hard squeeze on her hand, which caused her to drop her plate of food as well as the silverware. Thankfully, the plate did break into pieces near the young girl. Amy started to whimper, and Hero heard. He finally snapped back to reality and his breathing slowly started to go back to normal. Hero looked over at Amy and felt guilty. He hugged the girl and started to write on his notepad quickly before letting her go and showing it to her.

"Sorry. I'm so sorry," Hero wrote. Amy looked up at him and glared for a bit before smiling.

"I forgive you," she told him and gestured her finger to come closer. He did so, and she started patting his head. "Hero said sorry, so he is a good boy."

Usually, he would grunt at that, but he just stared at the girl and let out a small smile. Lina let out a sigh of relief and looked over at all the adults.

"No knives are allowed to be in front of Hero," Lina told them seriously. They all nodded in understanding. Shilo immediately started cleaning up the mess, and Mia was about to tend to Amy's hand. But for some reason, Amy did not want to let go of his hand and said to Mia she was fine. Mia let her off for now, but she was still going to check it after dinner was finished.

Amy had a new plate of food, and Hero got his. The two children sat with each other and ate silently. Hero took side glances at Amy. And somewhere inside him, he felt happy. A small smile was placed on his lips before he ate with a happy expression on his face.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N**: Well, this chapter is mostly focused on Amy, Hero, Emma, and Nate. I just felt the children needed the spotlight once in a while. Thank you for **Emoen **(lol, normally boys want to be heroes when they grow up. Guess Hero wants to be a hero?) for being the only one to review the last chapter. Question Time! I have two questions I would like an answer for. Should I change the rating to M instead of staying it on T? And of course, another question is if you had to choose an actor or actress to act out my OCs, who would be most compatible to act out the character? lol. Just one of them would be fine and could be any character I made up in this story. Please enjoy this chapter.

Chapter Eleven

Lina and Shilo decided to go into the children's room for the night, and both women stared in astonishment when they saw little Amy sleeping on the same bed as Hero. They were holding each other in their arms. Looking at each other for a moment, they didn't know how to react and pretended they didn't see anything and left the room quietly.

"Amy and Hero seem to instantly hit it off," Lina said in a rather lost tone.

"Yeah," Shilo simply answered. Both women looked at each other again but this time they laughed quietly.

The next morning, Lina woke up to see Hero staring at her. She jumped at the scare but calmed right away when it was only Hero. He showed his notepad to her and Lina started reading.

"Do you think I can really be part of this family?" Hero wrote in his notepad. Lina smiled an ruffled the boy's head.

"Yes, Hero. You are already part of the family," Lina answered. Hero stared at her for a bit before biting his lower lip and tears started forming in his eyes before hugging her.

Lina chuckled lightly as to not wake up the rest of the guys sleeping on the couch. She softly patted the boy's back in comfort.

"You will no longer live in that hell anymore," Lina whispered. Hero nodded against her.

Pavi woke up in time to see the beautiful scene and smiled. He couldn't help but join in and held them. Hero and Lina were surprised, but they did not do anything. Hero seemed to scrunch his nose from Pavi's powerful cologne smell.

Lina let them go and the other two parted. Lina covered her mouth with a hand as she yawned. She looked at the two tiredly and shrugged.

"Why are you two awake so early?" Lina asked. Hero started to instantly scribble in his notepad and Pavi merely smiled. When Hero was done, he showed her his writing.

"I don't know. I had a nice dream and woke up feeling relaxed. I wanted to tell you for some reason."

Lina chuckled and nodded. She then looked over at Pavi and waited for his answer. As if he understood, he started speaking.

"Of course, the Pavi woke up early so I could hug the bella when she is sleeping. Today is finally the day the Pavi's punishment is over. But sadly, Hero took the chance before the Pavi could," Pavi answered. Lina rolled her eyes and pecked his lips, making Pavi surprised for a moment before he excitedly hugged her. Lina seemed annoyed as he did so.

Hero watched and rolled his eyes to see the scene. He quietly went back into the children's room. When he saw Amy still sleeping comfortably on his bed, he smiled and walked over to her. He noticed a strand of her hair on her face and lightly and carefully placed it behind her ear. She started stirring which made Hero's breathing suddenly pause. Amy turned onto her other side. Hero relaxed as she continued to sleep. He smiled and started scribbling something in his notepad while taking every few glimpses as he did so.

Nate woke up and yawned. When he turned his head, he noticed Hero scrawling in his notepad with concentration and saw that Hero sometimes drops his concentration every few times to take a glimpse at Amy. Nate was curious, so he got off his bed and sneaked up behind him. His eyes widened to see a sketch of the sleeping Amy. It was unbelievably realistic even when it was unfinished.

"Beautiful," Nate whispered. Hero jumped, his shoulder hitting Nate's jaw. Nate backed away and held his injury.

Hero turned around to see Nate and glared at him. Nate chuckled nervously and raised both his hands as if surrendering.

"Sorry, I was rather curious to see what you were doing. You draw pretty good," Nate answered before Hero could ask him a question on his notepad. He grunted, flipping a page of his notepad and started to write something. When he had finished, he showed it to Nate to read.

"Don't tell anyone I did this or else I'll kill you."

Nate chuckled and nodded.

"I won't. I know when to leave a person alone. You seem to hit it off with Amy. Why do you seem close to Amy instead of the others?" Nate asked, having been curious at the newly formed relationship between Hero and Amy.

Hero thought a bit before scribbling something in the notepad once more.

"She makes me feel safe," he wrote, "like Lina."

Nate nodded as if understanding him.

"Yeah, Lina makes me feel safe too. I guess I can understand," Nate told him in reply.

"Do you think I deserve a second chance?" Hero wrote. Nate smiled and shrugged.

"If you want a second chance, then yes. People can live better lives if they strive for it," Nate told him. Hero looked at him in awe at the way he speaks, wondering how he could speak in such a grown up way.

"Why do you speak like an adult?" Hero wrote. Nate chuckled this time. Hero grunted as if he thought Nate was thinking his question was stupid.

"It is because I learned to speak this way ever since I was young," Nate answered.

The door to the children's room soon opened to reveal Lina. She looked at both boys questioningly though she shrugged it away.

"Are you guys bonding early in the morning?" Lina asked quietly.

The answer varied in both boys as Nate said "yes" while Hero wrote "no". Lina couldn't help but snigger, covering it under her hand. She sighed and shook her head before putting an arm around Hero's shoulder while the other was around Nate.

"Treat each other well," Lina told them before ruffling their hair. She started walking back to the door but stopped right in front of it and turned back to look at them. "I'll be out for most of the day for today. Behave for me, will you?" Lina smiled, gave them a thumbs up, and winked at them before leaving.

Both boys were surprised of the news and wondered if the reason she came inside the room was just to tell them that. Both boys frowned and wondered where she was going. Nate was never used to it, and Hero felt a little uncomfortable at the thought of her not being there. Did she trust Hero enough to leave him alone with them? What if he reacted dangerously like yesterday? Hero could feel a hand on his shoulder. He turned to look up at Nate, who smiled at him.

"Since we are older than the other children, let's watch over them," Nate told him. Hero was speechless but nodded. Nate smiled, and he started chatting with Hero like he was his friend. Hero was not used to it, but he felt a change would be better. After all, he was supposedly no longer an assassin anymore. He was no longer forced to kill. And for some reason, his shoulders seemed lighter.

Not long after, Emma woke up as she started to wipe the sleep from her eyes. She noticed the two boys sitting up and talking. With a smile, she quietly walked slowly behind them before jumping on Nate's back, surprising both Nate and Hero. Emma chuckled quietly before getting off Nate's back. She smiled brightly at them, and Nate couldn't help but smile back at her. He could never get angry at such an angelic face as hers even if she did almost give him a heart attack.

"What cha talkin' about?" Emma asked cutely.

"Nothing in particular. Just general things such as age and the likes. Hero's thirteen like me," Nate answered.

Nate patted to an empty spot between him and Hero. Emma giggled before she sat comfortably between them. She held her knees against herself so her elbows would rest on her knees with her chin placed on top of her palms. She looked from Hero to Nate and grinned to herself.

Hero was confused about Emma, so he started writing in his notepad. Curiosity was evident on Nate's and Emma's faces as they watched him write. When he was done, he showed it to Emma to read, but Nate read it out loud for her.

"Why are you always so cheerful?" Hero wrote.

Emma pondered for a little bit and giggled.

"Because I like being happy," she answered simply.

After she answered, a groan was heard before Amy sat up with a blank stare on her face. She yawned right after before she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She looked around for a moment before looking over to where the already awake trio were. And for an unknown reason, she let out a sigh. She laid back on her bed for several seconds before sitting up again. She looked over at the trio again. But this time, she got off the bed and headed towards the trio. And as if it was normal, she sat on top of Hero's lap, and Hero would put his arms around her and put the notepad in front of them.

"Are you still tired, Amy?" Nate asked, seeing the scene was rather odd since Amy and Hero had just met yesterday. He had never seen Amy get comfortable as she did now.

Amy, without a word, nodded before placing the back of her head against Hero. Emma's eyes sparkled at the scene with a big smile placed on her lips. Her thoughts seemed to be full of romantic thoughts. Nate chuckled, knowing full well what Emma's look meant. Hero and Amy were oblivious to Emma's thoughts. And of course, Hero and Amy were way too innocent to think about love.

"Amy is thirsty," Amy said quietly with a huff. Nate chuckled and nodded at Amy's unhappy moods from waking up in the morning.

"I'll get it for you. Do you want orange juice?" Nate asked. Amy nodded.

"Thank you, Nate," Amy told him. Nate nodded with a gentle smile and got up, but Emma's hand caught Nate's arm.

"I wanna go with you, Nate. I am thirsty too," Emma said with a mischievous glint in her eyes. Nate knew the look and tried to hide a smile from Emma's plan.

"Sure," Nate answered. Emma got off the bed as the two smiled at each other. And before they left, Amy was waving at them cutely. When they got out, Nate asked, "Were you trying to get them to be alone?"

Emma smiled brightly and nodded, humming lightly as they passed by the sleeping Largos and Graverobber. After they passed the living room, Nate once again spoke.

"But they are too young to understand love," Nate told her. Emma giggled before her arm clasped around his.

"Love does not start with a person's age. It starts with a person's feelings," Emma told him as if quoting something or someone. "I read it from a book," she said in a chirpy tone. She then immediately pulled him across the hallway to the kitchen. Nate was rather surprised at the comment, but he couldn't help but smile soon after.

When they had gotten inside, Shilo was already making preparations. She turned around to take a glimpse and saw Nate and Emma together. She greeted them with a smile before going back to prepping. Nate was the only child allowed to get anywhere near the dangerous part of the kitchen because it was where Shilo would be cooking. When he safely got two cups, he placed them on the dining room table and went to the fridge. The two started rummaging through the fridge for drinks. Emma took out a heavy carton of chocolate milk while Nate got out the orange juice. Nate chuckled when he watched Emma wobble to the dining room table because it was too heavy for her to carry. Emma turned around and puffed her cheeks at Nate for laughing at her. Nate walked over to her and helped her carry the milk while apologizing to Emma for laughing at her. He set both cartons on the table before pouring chocolate milk for Emma and then poured orange juice for Amy. After he closed the cartons, Emma opened the fridge for him to put the cartons back. He set them back before he closed the fridge. He looked over at Emma, who smiled sweetly at him when he turned to her. And like always, he returned his smile with his own.

The two left together after they said goodbye to Shilo. When they were about to go inside, Graverobber sneaked up on the two and greeted them. Nate and Emma were surprised, and Emma almost spilled her chocolate milk. Thankfully, it was only filled halfway.

"And why are you two out of your room this early?" Graverobber asked with his usual grin on his face. Nate and Emma had calmed their hearts before they turned around to look at him.

They showed their drinks innocently. Graverobber chuckled before taking the orange juice out of Nate's grasp. Before Nate could stop him, Graverobber already chugged down the beverage. Nate was wide-eyed for a moment before he let out a tired sigh when Graverobber returned the empty glass to Nate.

"Well, thanks for the refreshment, kiddo," Graverobber said while patting his stomach lightly, "It really did hit the spot."

Graverobber didn't seem at all guilty for his actions which Emma scrunched her nose in displeasure. She took a step forward, causing Nate to look over at her curiously. When he noticed her look, Nate found a smile gracing his lips and found her to look quite cute with that expression.

"But that was for Amy," Emma whined.

Luigi and Pavi started to stir at that moment. Luigi made a gruff sound, looking rather grouchy like always. His eyes already made into glare.

"Shut the fuck up! I'm trying to fucking sleep here!" Luigi yelled over from his armchair.

Emma flinched and whimpered at the harsh yell. She frowned and found herself latching onto Nate's sleeve. Nate, on the other hand, didn't seem to mind Luigi's harshness, but he did frown when he noticed how scared Emma was. Emma started shivering and her glass suddenly fell to the ground from her hands. Memories of being abused on the streets suddenly flashed through her mind. The sudden cup falling on the ground startled Graverobber and Nate. Emma was beyond scared.

Mia came downstairs when she heard the yell and found Emma shivering next to Nate. Soon, Shilo came out after. When Shilo saw Emma, she gasped and immediately started spouting soft calming words, but it seemed those words did not reach to Emma. Mia's eyes sharpened and looked over at Luigi with a small amount of anger occurring on her face. Luigi, being groggy and irritated, did not take notice of his lover. Unfortunately for him, he was suddenly whacked from behind his head. He yelped and shouted profanities and asking who did it. When he turned around to curse at the offender, his eyes widened when he saw Mia crossing her arms with such intensity in her eyes.

"Did you know what you have done?" Her voice cold with disapproval. Without another word, she had gotten to Emma's side, leaving Luigi confused and surprised. She looked intensely at Graverobber and Shilo. "Hold her down."

Graverobber and Shilo immediately did as they were told. Graverobber held the little girl's arms down while Shilo held down her legs. Nate stood in confusion. Mia immediately whipped out a small case. She opened it and took a small syringe and then took out a small orange bottle with some sort of liquid in it, a bottle with clear liquid in it, and a bag of cotton pads from her doctor's pocket. She organized it on the floor before staring at Emma. She noticed how her eyes started to turn dull, yet there was a still fear in Emma's eyes. And before anyone knew it, Emma started to suddenly tried to claw wildly at Graverobber holding her arms down and screaming like she was haunted. This startled Graverobber and Nate, and a now awake Luigi and Pavi staring at her. Shilo concentrated on telling Emma to calm down again, hoping it would help. Mia immediately opened the cap of the bottle with the clear liquid on it. Right away, she poured a bit of it on the cotton pad and started to rub it somewhere on her arm. Mia looked over at Nate.

"Hold the cotton pad right there. Don't move it," Mia ordered. Nate came out of his shock and nodded. He held the pad on Emma's arm while looking at the girl with concern.

Graverobber was starting to struggle on keeping the frantic girl down. For a little girl, she was rather strong when she was in this state. He cringed at how dangerous Emma could be if she was like this on the streets. She would even be shot by a GeneCop without any mercy.

Mia then went onto opening the cap of the orange bottle. And as she did so, she took the cap off the syringe and pointed the needle into the orange bottle, puncturing the plastic on top of the orange bottle. The white-bluish liquid started entering the syringe as she pulled the end of the syringe. When she got to the unit needed, she immediately told Nate to let go. He did as he was told, and Mia plunged the needle of the syringe where the pad used to be and injected the liquid into her. Immediately, Emma's attacks slowly deteriorated before she was completely out cold. Mia sighed and shook her head.

"Carry her inside," she told Graverobber. He seemed quite hesitant, wondering if she would get up suddenly and attack again. As if Mia could read his mind, she continued, "She won't wake up any time soon. And even if she does, she will be calm. Don't worry about it."

Graverobber seemed to accept her answers and carried Emma into the room. Mia started cleaning up the mess including the spilled glass of chocolate milk while Shilo helped. Nate stood there, still shocked at what had happened.

"What happened?" Nate asked quietly. Shilo looked up at him sadly.

"A rare relapse," Shilo answered simply, not detailing any further than that. Luigi and Pavi seemed not at all concerned about what may have happened. They seemed used to it actually.

After the mess was clean, Mia returned to the living room and stared sharply at Luigi and Pavi with Shilo beside her.

"Shilo, Lina, and I know Amber Sweet wants you back at GeneCo," Mia said. Luigi and Pavi froze at the comment. The brothers had a bad feeling of what may come next. "We allowed you to stay here because you two were following the rules, but this incident is something even Shilo and I cannot turn a blind eye on."

"Wh-what is the bella trying to say?" Pavi asked. He rarely ever got his nervous when he heard someone speak with such a grave voice.

"We are kicking you out," Shilo told them, taking the initiative. Her voice was clear and serious. There was no fear in her voice, and this time she had a no-nonsense air to her. Luigi and Pavi was startled at the sudden news.

"But-!" Pavi yelled before he was cut off by a woman's yell from the outside. They knew that voice very well. Mia and Shilo were rather surprised Lina would come back after she had just left for an hour.

Mia and Shilo rushed out to see Lina carrying a young girl in her arms around Tom's age, bloody and bruised. Shilo immediately opened the gates. Mia immediately went inside the house again and rushed upstairs.

"What happened?" Shilo asked, shocked.

This was not a good way to start off the morning with. And for now, Luigi's and Pavi's leaving would be temporarily at a standstill.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N**: O.O! I have finally updated. Truthfully, I will not be updating that much like I used to. I'm too busy to even find time to type my stories. In the end, I hope everyone can be patient and await chapters when I have time to update. I would like to thank **MotherGothelFan1** (LOL, I'm sure some day they will have get kicked out sooner or later. And also, thank you for being the only one to answer both my questions. I'm very happy for that), **Emoen** (All I can say about the new girl is that there's going to be a surprise guest because of her. Lol), **CrystalionTears** (No worries, all computers have complications even if they do work well. I'm glad you like the chapter. By the way, this name is actually easier than the one before this. lol), **The Psychotic Serial Killer **(Hahaha, thank you for reviewing almost every chapter. It must have taken so much time, but I really appreciate that you put in the effort into reviewing most of the chapters. You're the greatest friend ever! ^-^), and **Evelyn** (Yepperz, I like instant friendships the most like these. It's the kind of feeling when you first meet the person, you just know you will become good friends with them) for the lovely reviews. I am very sorry for not being able to update like usual even when you all are so kind to review. Makes me feel a little guilty, but I will try my best to type as much as I can and as soon as I can. Well, I hope you guys like this chapter because it took me a long while to type this chapter. Truthfully, I think I'm famous for my one-liners. lol. Well, enjoy!

Chapter Twelve

Everyone other than Shilo, Mia, and Lina were forced to stay inside the children's room. If they tried to even leave once, there would be grave consequences. The seriousness on Lina's expression showed just that.

Shilo was going to stay right outside the children's room just in case anyone tried to come out. Lina and Mia carried the young girl inside the secret entrance behind the fireplace. Mia worked on her quickly because of how faint the little girl's pulse was. Lina came out and let Shilo take over as the assistant. Shilo nodded and quickly got behind the fireplace.

When Shilo disappeared, Lina winced. She looked underneath her shirt. Her bandages around her waist started to soak with blood. She closed her eyes and steadied her breath. She looked up at the ceiling, hoping to get her attention away from her injuries. Lina let out a sigh of relief, knowing the girl was in safe hands. Lina winced again as the pain seemed to get to her. Her breathing started to hitch. Both of her legs had gone weak from all the blood loss before she suddenly fainted, landing on the floor with a hard thump.

It took an hour or so before Mia and Shilo came out. Both bloodied up from the short operation. It was right when they got out of the secret entrance and turned their heads to see how Lina was doing before they realized Lina had fallen unconscious with blood seeping out onto the wooden floor. Shilo gasped but Mia was the only one to take action. Mia's eyes darkened as blood stained the wooden floor.

"Idiot, why did you endure it for so long?" Mia asked even though she knew Lina could not hear her. She shook her head before ordering Shilo to get the bandages while she prepared to close Lina's wound once again. She cleaned off the blood and sanitized the needle before she swiftly worked to close off the wound. Mia sighed, shaking her head. From the looks of it, she needed to take Lina and the young girl to her clinic for a thorough check-up. Mia was thankful that Shilo had brought along the box of gloves when she got the bandages, so she was able to change the gloves from the young girl's own blood with a clean one to deal Lina with. Usually, she would have washed her hands every time it involves blood and treating a different patient, but there was no time and Lina had already lost too much blood as it is.

When Luigi, Pavi, and Graverobber were allowed to get out, they were startled to see Lina lying on the ground with a pool of blood surrounding her. The young girl was carried by Mia and onto the couch. The fireplace entrance had been closed earlier, so they would not know about the secret entrance.

Pavi immediately got to Lina's side. She was so still, so pale. Fear erupted inside him. His hand had been shivering and becoming clammy when he got closer to her. He held her gently close to him while minding any injuries she may have on her and looked at Mia for answers. He felt numb. An emptiness he had not felt for so long.

"Don't worry. She's not dead. She just fainted from the loss of blood," Mia explained simply. "If you could, can you carry Lina to the bathroom? I need to clean her and change her clothes. And when that's done, I need you to carry her back onto the couch."

Pavi just stared blankly at her. Even when he heard what she said, he couldn't seem to move. In his mind, Lina looked like she was dead when he saw her lie there. She was so still. So unmoving. And then the blood. So much blood. _Her_ blood. It was as if his whole body shut down.

Mia looked impatient before she laid a hand on Pavi's shoulder. This made Pavi get out of his thoughts. He looked up at the doctor, and all she did was stare at him with her usual serious expression.

"She's fine. She's alive," Mia told him. Pavi smiled and nodded though he seemed a little doubtful.

He then started to place his hand on Lina's back, and the other hand held Lina behind her knees. He stood up, carrying her bridal style. Mia noticed how Pavi clutched her closer to his body protectively. She could see by his actions that he truly cared for Lina, yet she knew this man would deny his own feelings.

Mia followed closely behind him with clothes in her arms. When Pavi laid Lina carefully in the bath tub, Mia immediately shooed him out. Pavi reluctantly left and saw Lina one last time before the door completely shut before him. He touched his chest before scrunching his silk shirt stained with blood. He looked over at his hands and saw the blood. He shook his head and went upstairs to wash it away. He scrubbed his skin intensely leaving red marks on his hands and arms that held Lina's blood. Even when the blood was long gone after he had washed it, he could still see blood. It didn't bother him when he started bleeding, but all he could see was her blood needing to be scrubbed off him.

Thankfully, Pavi didn't lock the door before his brother came in when Luigi waited for him to answer after several knocks. Being impatient as he is, he tested the doorknob to make sure it wasn't locked before slowly peeking through the door. He didn't want to burn his eyes if his brother was actually doing his business.

Luigi immediately widened the door when he saw his brother frantically scrubbing his skin. Before he knew it, Luigi pushed Pavi away from the sink and held Pavi's wrists in anger. He could see the scratch marks that appeared with the redness of the skin. A little bit of blood had been seeping through the scratches, and he growled. Luigi knew something felt odd about his brother when he immediately rushed for the bathroom upstairs. After his big brother instincts started kicking in after a minute or two, he had to go up and check up on him.

And lo and behold, he found his gut feeling to be right. His brother had harmed himself while scrubbing away like mad. And not only that, his brother looked like he saw something completely horrifying. And in no time, he immediately went to stop his brother by holding his wrists with his strength. Luigi was much stronger than Pavi, and Pavi's struggle lessened.

"You fucking idiot! What are you doing harming yourself?" Luigi yelled, scolding him in a way he only knows how. "If someone is going to injure you, it would be me, you fucking moron!"

Pavi looked up at his brother with a dazed look. Pavi could hear him, but he couldn't see him. His mind kept replaying of Lina's body lying still while being soiled and surrounded by her own blood. The image was terrifying even if he seen far worse. The brothers, after all, had watched Nathan cut open a body while the victim was still alive. Yes, he seen far worse, but why did he felt terrified this time?

"What has gotten into you, you freak?" Luigi scowled, "Huh?"

Pavi stayed quiet. His whole body tensed, even Pavi didn't have an answer to that question. Luigi felt impatient when he didn't have an answer. He shook his brother, thinking it may wake up his brother from his dazed state. It did. As much as Pavi disliked his brother's rudeness, he was glad his brother shook him really hard. He was able to wake up from that nightmare.

"Thank you, fratello," Pavi told him quietly. Luigi winced, not used to Pavi speaking to him softly and thanking him.

"Whatever," Luigi answered, rolling his eyes. "What made you crazy enough to hurt yourself like that anyways?"

Pavi stayed quiet once again. Luigi noticed how sad Pavi looked.

"Is it because of that crazy woman?" Luigi asked, knowing full well his brother had become more than smitten with Lina. Pavi had reassured Luigi's suspicion when he stiffened. Luigi scowled in disgust. "Just because she got injured and saw her all bloodied up, you wanted to hurt yourself?"

"The Pavi wasn't trying to hurt himself. The Pavi was trying to clean off the blood on him," Pavi said quietly before his fingers started fidgeting with the hem of his shirt.

"You fucker, you were scrubbing your hands and arms until you bled. You wouldn't do that for any woman you stole faces from. Why would she be an exception?" Luigi scorned, thinking about the countless times they watched people die and found no remorse in their deaths. "Even if that crazed woman were to die right then and there, she would just be another corpse."

Somewhere inside him, Pavi snapped. He looked at his brother angrily. Even though he disliked his brother to a certain degree, Pavi had never felt so much loathing for his brother until now. Luigi could even see the venom in his brother's eyes.

"You may think you know the Pavi, Brother, but you don't. The Pavi has been patient with you for all the offensive things you have said to the Pavi, but the Pavi will not allow you to talk about the bella dying. The bella is not dead, and the Pavi does not want to think about the bella's death. The Pavi is not as physically weak as you think he is," Pavi told him in an unusually low and threatening tone. His usual high pitched voice no longer evident. It had startled Luigi at his brother's change of demeanor. Luigi almost regretted the comment. Almost. Even if the current Pavi scared him just a tad bit, Luigi was too prideful to apologize or admit the fact that he felt guilty with his remark.

"Hmph. Whatever," Luigi stated before leaving Pavi alone. He knew it wasn't wise to stay since he knew his outbursts could cause a lot of unnecessary trouble. And of course, he didn't want to see what that current Pavi could do since he had never dealt with this much anger from him before. And by the looks of it, Pavi could do some damage if he wanted to.

It had been about six hours before Lina started to stir from unconsciousness. She had to blink several times before she could finally regain some focus on her surroundings. She slowly tried to sit up, straining a bit as she felt the pain on her side. It was then she noticed something heavy on one side of the bed. She turned her head to see Hero's and Nate's heads rested on the side. They were soundly sleeping, making Lina shake her head yet a small smile was placed on her lips. It was then she got up and started walking even though she winced every time she took a step forward on her injured side. She looked through the closet to see some blankets neatly folded on the top. She stood on the tip of her toes and got the blankets before laying it on both boys' backs. She stared at them warmly for a moment before she shook her head.

"_Can't believe I've become this soft_," she thought with a sigh.

Lina glimpsed at the boys once again for a short moment before leaving out of Mia's room and closed the door softly. She noticed how dim the hallways were and knew it must have been dark out and the moon had already taken over the sun. With another sigh, she was about to turn and leave when she noticed someone's body on the ground near the door. She squatted and got a closer look to see it was Pavi. She was a little surprised before nudging him.

"Hey, wake up, face-stealer," Lina said quietly as she nudged harder when he didn't respond the first time.

Pavi shifted and groaned from being pushed a few times, his eyes slowly opening to see Lina staring at him. He gasped when he took notice of her presence. Lina found it odd at his reaction. It was as if Pavi hadn't seen her for so long. It was sudden, but Pavi pulled her into a hug, making her wince from her injury as she fell onto him.

"Hey, be careful of my injury, idiot," Lina scowled quietly. Pavi released his grip on her but still held her while being careful of her injury.

"The Pavi is sorry, bella," he said ever so softly into her ear. Lina cringed at the way he spoke as if his favorite toy had been broken.

"Why the heck are you sleeping on the floor anyways?" Lina asked. She pulled his arms away, so she could sit comfortably beside him to listen to his explanation. She also felt uncomfortable to be in his arms, not used to physical displays of affection. Pavi felt a little hurt that she got out of his embrace, wondering if she didn't like him as much as he liked her.

"The Pavi just... The Pavi feels..." He started explaining though he mumbled the rest.

His eyes shifted downwards as if his fingers were more interesting. Lina could see he was avoiding her eyes. She didn't quite understand what was going on, but she didn't try to pry. She was in no mood to find answers.

"Forget it," she told him. She stood up and held out a hand to him. Pavi looked at her hand for a moment before looking up at her. She had an irritable look on her face. Pavi knew it was only a front to hide her blush and it made Pavi's heart skip a beat, even if this sort of thing only happened in stories. With a little hesitation, he took her hand before standing up. It was then he suddenly fell back down, making Lina fall with him as they made a loud thump. Lina groaned as her body landed vertically on top of him. Their hands still intertwined.

"What the heck, face-stealer," she quietly scowled.

"S-sorry. The Pavi's legs are numb," he told her, blushing as he did so. He couldn't help but feel rather flushed. He could feel her stomach touching an important area of his. Lina, being oblivious, only focused the pain on her side.

"_Shoot, I hope my injury isn't open again. Mia is going to kill me!_" Lina thought.

"B-bella, are you okay?" Pavi asked when her vacant hand started touching her side.

"Just a little pain, nothing I can't handle," she whispered before sitting up beside him. "How are your legs? Is it still numb?"

Pavi tried to move his legs but felt a stinging sensation from the numbness. He looked up at her apologetically, making Lina roll her eyes. She stood up once again and letting go of his hand before entering the room again, leaving Pavi behind. Pavi watched in shock as she just abandoned him here in the dark and on the cold floor. He whimpered quietly, feeling useless. He felt so alone. Truly alone for the first time. It didn't take long before the door next to him creaked open to reveal Lina with a blanket in her arms. She threw the blanket at him before closing the door quietly. She then slowly sat next to him away from the door and huffed.

"Until your legs stop being numb, I'll sit next to you," Lina told him seriously before yawning. Pavi smiled and the feeling of abandonment quickly left him. His arm wrapped around Lina's shoulder and pulled her closer to him. Lina, startled, looked up at him with confusion. Pavi smiled the sweetest smile.

"The Pavi feels cold, and the bella feels warm," he told her before she could ask him about it. Lina's eye brow quirked upwards even further. Pavi giggled before settling his head on her shoulder.

"Whatever. Just don't get used to this," she muttered before looking away shyly.

And in the end, Pavi felt loved.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N**: O.O! I wrote this chapter in a speed I didn't know I had, and look I updated! I guess I'm inspired and in a good mood. In this chapter, you will meet a dark Mia near the end. Even the calmest of waters can turn into vicious monsters. I can't say I really did a good job in making the characters dark, but I guess I did an okay job. What do you guys think? Thank you to **CrystalionTears** (When you mention a collection of crystals, I'm reminded of the "The Glass Menagerie". If you never heard of it, it's a play. I had to read it and watched it once when I was in drama class. I wasn't sure what to think about it since I neither liked it or disliked it), **Emoen** (Yepperz, I like the emotional side of Pavi. And as for the girl and the secret guest, they might come in soon, maybe after two more chapters. And to clarify, it would be one of the characters I introduced before *hint* *hint* I'm pretty sure some of you guys may know who he/she is), and **ScalpelSlut** (Oh my, thank you for having the chance to read my stories. Yeah, the Repo murders are a subplot. It's mainly have the characters interact. The Repo murders are just a plus in the plotline. And of course, like I said before, everyone ties in together in some way. Thank you for your kind words) for the reviews. As for Pavi, Luigi, and Graverobber, I **MIGHT** have them in-character soon because I know you guys love them for who they are. I'm not certain, but I will sure try to make them the lovable characters that they are. After all, a few big twists and turns will cause everyone go wide-eyed and ask "What happened?" Lol. **Warning!** Mentions of content not suitable for children. I could say teens in high school can handle this. I'm iffy in middle schoolers. It's not really at all that bad since I didn't go into detail that much.

Chapter Thirteen

Darkness consumed the little girl. Just as she woke up, tears had started to form in her eyes. It was Mia who found her in that state. She was hysterical, shouting and yelling for help. Mia could see the girl had gone through a lot. Mia took this chance to be in view. The girl saw her and swiftly got off the bed but not before tripping as she did so. The girl didn't seem to care if she was injured and crawled to Mia, holding onto Mia's ankle and looking up at her pleadingly.

"P-please! Please save me! They're chasing after me! They won't stop! Please!" The young girl begged. Mia was shocked at first before her eyes became stone cold. She squatted down and took both of the girl's hands in hers. She softly smoothed the top of her hair and held her into a hug.

"You are safe," Mia answered softly enough for the girl to hear. The girl's eyes widened as tears poured down from her eyes. The young girl returned the hug and wailed with all her might.

Lina and the young girl had prepared to get ready for a thorough check-up at Mia's clinic. Obviously, Mia would be driving them there since Lina was stupid enough to get a cold from accidently sleeping on the floor with Pavi beside her. Luckily, Pavi did not get sick with her. Lina had to wear a surgical mask to prevent her from getting anyone else sick with her cold. The new girl was holding Mia's hand tightly when she noticed all the people living in the home. She was hiding behind Mia until they got to the car. Lina sat in the back seat, knowing full well how clingy the new girl was to Mia and Mia turned around to look at Lina with a nod of acknowledgment. Lina shrugged in reply. The girl nervously buckled her seat belt with which Mia was willingly help her with when the girl was having a hard time with it because she was shivering nonstop.

"Lina, are you well equipped?" Mia asked when she started driving away from the house. "The rebels might start off with damaging small clinics just to get the media's attention."

"Yeah. If anything happens, I'll just show 'em who they are messing with and make 'em regret crossing paths with me," Lina replied with confidence, "Well, if that's all, I'm going to take a short nap. The aspirin is starting to get to me."

Meanwhile, Shilo sat across from Graverobber silently in her room. Graverobber looked at her in confusion, his right eyebrow quirked up. He noticed Shilo wanted to tell him something and was being nervous about it, but he didn't know what it would be about. And for some reason, he felt a sinking feeling in his stomach as if his gut was telling him it was bad news.

"It's best that you left, Graverobber," Shilo told him sadly. Graverobber's eyes widened at what she had just said. And immediately, he felt his body move automatically.

"What? Tell me I didn't hear right, Lovebug," Graverobber said before clutching her arms.

Shilo winced in pain from the strength he put forth in his hands. Tears started to form in Shilo's eyes, not from the pain but the heartache of letting Graverobber go. They were starting to get more closer than they had ever been to anyone in their life, but the thought of it would hurt Shilo even further if Graverobber left her to the point it would cause too much pain for Shilo to bear.

Thinking about her friends' broken hearts from letting the Largo brothers go, it broke a piece of her heart as well. She could remember Lina's response when they told her this morning about their decision to kick the Largo brothers out. Shilo could see how affected her friends were to this decision.

Lina had just gotten woken up from the floor by Shilo. It wasn't until she freshened up that Shilo and Mia decided to confront her about ending the Largo brothers' stay in Shilo's home. When they had just finished, Lina had hid her expression by lowering her head, not allowing anyone to see it. She stayed completely silent like that for a long moment before she sighed and looked up at her friends' faces and nodded. She accepted it without any fight as if she knew this would happen sooner or later, but the pain coursing through her and Mia were noticeable since they avoided the Largo brothers as much as they could today. The Largos happened to also be affected by their impending departure from the two women that took their hearts.

And in Shilo's silly mind, she felt she had to let go of Graverobber as well. It was difficult, but she found it necessary. She loved him too much and she noticed several times he didn't want to be in certain situations where he would be in danger. With the way things are going now, he would also be exposed to future threats. And for that reason, she was going to let him go. But of course, this didn't mean she was some sort of saint or being selfless. Somewhere inside of her, she wanted to cut the loose string binding Graverobber and her together. She was afraid of being so close to him that she would lose him in the end. Even if Graverobber was exposed to risks that befalls onto Shilo's life and they both survived in the end, she wouldn't be able to handle it if Graverobber suddenly up and left her behind when things started to be calm again. She wouldn't be able to take it if she lost another loved one by death or even by abandonment.

"You've got three days to pack," she told him with her quivered lips. She gripped both of Graverobber's hands and forcefully took them off her arms. She stood up and looked at him with such cold eyes. As she spoke again, her voice were void of all feeling. "After all, you are supposed to live here temporarily. If you need a place to stay, Mia can help you with that arrangement." She turned and left, not looking behind her at the distraught Graverobber.

Shock was an understatement to what Graverobber was feeling from what he had just witnessed. He felt betrayed and abandoned, a feeling he knew all too well many times before in his younger years. He thought he wouldn't be able to feel those dastardly feelings again until now. He felt his jaw and hands clenched.

"_I should have known this would happen. I should have fucking known!_" Graverobber thought before he stood up and stomped out of her room and out of the house.

After Mia finished examining the little girl thoroughly, she made sure the little girl was still asleep before leaving the room and closing the door behind her. Just as she did so, Lina was sitting comfortably on a chair across from her in the hallway. She looked up to see a very cold Mia.

"She had been forcefully penetrated in both areas," Mia told Lina. Lina sighed and nodded.

"I know," Lina simply replied. Mia's eyes sharpened and looked dangerously at Lina. Her eyes glowing with venom.

"What happened?"

Lina let her head fall back before she looked at the ceiling in regret.

"There were three big buff guys," she started. Her eyes becoming angry and serious at the thought. "I saw them surrounding her, and she yelled for help. Before I could get to them though, they already penetrated her."

"The third one. What did he do?" Mia still looked cold as ever. She did not even flinched once when Lina told her about the rape, but her hand was already clenched tightly into a fist.

"Her mouth." Lina clenched her jaw, thinking back at the scene. Mia didn't need to ask further about the simple reply because she knew what it meant. Mia closed her eyes before taking a knife from her pocket and thrusted it into the wall. She opened her eyes to reveal her rage which then turned into an icy stare.

"Did you make sure to make them suffer before they died?"

Lina turned to her. She found it hard to get used to this side of Mia. She had seen it in rare occasions. And most of the time, she would try as much as she could to avoid it if possible. In these circumstances though, she could not hide from it even if she wanted to.

"I did. I made sure to prolong their death to make them suffer the work I've done on them. I could hear their screams of mercy to kill them. In the end, I left them to suffer until they bled to death," Lina explained. Even after she heard this, Mia still was not satisfied. She knew Lina was hiding something.

"Did you get all three of them?" Mia asked. Lina froze at the question, and she cursed at herself for doing so. Now, Mia knew she was hiding that information.

"No. I only took down two. The other guy escaped before I could get to him. He saw what I could do and ran like a scaredy-cat," Lina said truthfully with a sigh. After she told her, Lina felt regret because she feared what she would say next.

"Find out where he is. I'll deal with him," Mia said coldly. Lina groaned. This is what she was afraid of.

"Mia, let me deal with it. You shouldn't stain your hands. You are a doctor, not a killer," Lina tried to reason with her. Mia was unaffected, just standing there with such cruel eyes.

"Tell me when you get the information," she told her with finality.

Lina sighed and just nodded without another choice.

"How did your injury reopen anyways?" Mia asked. And for a short while, there was curiosity in her eyes. "I noticed there were some scratch marks on you."

"The girl. She was hysterical when I tried to get to her. She had done more damage than big buffs," Lina said, thinking back and chuckling at the whopping elbow to the stomach the girl gave her. She found it intriguing to have a strong girl like her do much more damage than most of the guys she faced. But then again, she was always a softie when it comes to kids.

"But you weren't able to take down the third," Mia pointed out. Lina huffed and crossed her arms.

"He was smart enough to run," she noted in reply.

"I want to get the information before tonight if you can. I'm not going to let this go," Mia told her, going back to her cold and unforgiving side of herself. Lina winced and nodded.

"I'll get the guys to find him. I remember what he looks like, so if we did a face identification then we will find him in no time," Lina responded.

Mia nodded and simply said, "Good."

Lina sighed once again. She didn't know how many times she had done that today. It was obvious Lina didn't want Mia to deal with it, but she knew she couldn't stop the bloodthirsty Mia.

"You were always weak against little girls getting raped," Lina said thoughtfully. Mia felt something cold trickle down inside her spine as she mentioned the words 'little girls' and 'rape' in the same sentence.

"Even I have past secrets that haunt me. But this time, I'm personally going an eye for an eye," Mia told her before turning back to her. "It's one of those times I am willing to get my hands dirty." And without another word, she went back into the room where the little girl was.

"I should have known this would happen," she muttered under her breath, "Even the calmest of waters can turn vicious."

She went onto her wrist communicator and called for Pierre. And within a second, he greeted his usual lively greeting. Lina cringed at his light and French accented voice.

"Pierre, I want you to look up someone for me. I'll be at your place to talk about it. But first, I want to let you know that Mia is going to personally get her hands dirty," Lina told him. There was a quiet silence on the other line for a few seconds before he spoke up once again.

"I'll get some men ready to clean up after," he said seriously. His voice soon turned back to its casual manner. "To be tortured by Mia, he would wish to have a quick death, non?"

Lina stayed silent before cringing at the thought of what the guy would be going through. Lina could already hear the screams of mercy and for her to end his life ring into her ears. The poor guy. He will find out what hell on Earth would really feel like.

"I guess," Lina finally replied, "He would regret not being tortured under my hands because Mia can be much crueller."


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N**: Once again, I must apologize for the late chapters. I've been so busy and had writer's block that it isn't even funny. Also, two Saturdays ago, I was so angry I couldn't write anything at all. I don't mind as much if I get bullied or teased, but it's a different matter when it comes to my younger sibling. I was just glad I didn't need to see those intolerable bullies again. Other than that, I finally finished a chapter even though it's short. Thank you to **Emoen** (Yeah, when I imagine Mia being scary, it would be the kind of a "you're dead meat" thing. Lol. I will miss Graverobber though he wouldn't be gone for long), **CrystalionTears** (Thank you and I shall. Lol), **MotherGothelFan1** (Yes. Yes, I am, but I might as well be dead since I haven't update for so long. Lol. Yep, Mia can do a great deal of damage when she loses her cool), and **XxPanda-BabiixX **(Ah, thank you. Glad to have a newcomer reviewing) for the reviews. **One more important thing, I'm actually going to update stories with the most reviews since I will start my classes very soon and will only have time to update one story. I also made a poll, so I might take it into consideration**. Now, that I'm done. Enjoy!

Chapter Fourteen

She came out of her car in all her glory. In a red knee-length spaghetti-strapped dress, Mia stood with utmost confidence. In her right hand, she held her medical bag. Her lips were painted red and her skin paled underneath the moonlight, giving her the look of a seductress. She turned her head to the left and smirked before she turned back and walked up to a run-down house. Her red high heels clacking against the stony surface beneath her. She knocked on the door with three clear knocks, resounding into the night while GeneCo's advertisement played upon the sky with lights flashing randomly to the ground.

Meanwhile, four dark figures were hiding in the shadows in the far corner of the street. They seemed to be watching Mia turn her head, almost in their direction but not so. She only turned so far to her shoulder before turning back to the front of her and made her way to the house. The four figures were clearly nervous from the sound of their own voices.

"Thought she would turn her head in our direction," spoke the shortest among the other three. From the looks of it, his height was around five foot eight. The rest seemed to be at the height of six feet. The tallest had been six foot four.

"Well, she does have a keen sense. Look at who she is living with," a different one spoke, the second shortest of the four.

"Well, I want to get this over with. I've got other things to do," the second tallest spoke.

"Like getting drunk?" The shortest said sarcastically. He had been elbowed by the second tallest and grunted from the blow.

"Shut up. I don't work well if I don't have a few drinks the day before," he replied in return.

"Enough. After she is done, we need to clean up right away. There's no time for bickering, and we must concentrate," the tallest spoke with his deep and penetrating voice.

The other three looked at him for a second before they stopped speaking and followed his command. It wasn't long before they heard screams of mercy from afar. After three hours of the non-stop tortures made unimaginable by Mia, she came out bloodied with blood not her own. The gloves she wore were stained permanently by the blood. As she walked out, she let out a devilish and cruel smile. There was a puff of smoke coming out of the house from the opened door. She looked over to the corner where the four figures are and gave a curt nod to them before walking calmly inside her car. She took off her gloves and chucked them inside a plastic bag of her passenger seat's floor while laying her medical bag carefully on the seat.

After she drove away, the four hurriedly got out of their hiding spot and into the house. Indeed, the cruelty given on the man was so horrifying even the four who were used to cleaning up dead bodies could feel the vomit slowly coming up in their throats when they first saw the travesty. In all that bloodied up mess, even when the man's feet were on fire, he was still alive and feeling the pain. He had been left completely naked. His nails on his feet and fingers were completely torn off from them. It seemed his fingers were being squeezed since the middle of his fingers were tightened so much until it hit the bone. Blood even spewed out from where his nails were formerly placed. His stomach had a gaping hole, making his internal organs easily seen. Those were some of the many few details they had seen. The four men even wondered why the guy could stilll survive from all the cruelty given onto him. Without another second to waste after seeing the disgusting scene, they started to clean up the evidence, not even letting a strand of hair go unnoticed. While they did their job, they ignored the man's pleas, though they were only guttural sounds coming out of his mouth, of ending his life right then and there while he was still on his fire. It took them hours before they finished the job while the guy's body is already placed in a black plastic bag. The guy died after a few minutes of them starting to clean up. In the end, the house looked the same as before. A little mess here and there to make it look like a man lived in the house as stated in his profile.

They hurriedly left in their black van and disappeared into the night. When they came to a cemetary, they placed him into a hidden building where the rest of the bodies laid before driving off once again.

Mia did not come home to Shilo's house that day for she cleaned herself up properly at her clinic and burned her red dress and gloves until only burnt scraps were left and even then she threw them in a small bag and placed them among other trash. And on the next day, she came back to Shilo's house as if nothing happened the night before.

Lina stole a glance towards her when everyone started having breakfast. Mia looked over at her and glared at her. Lina stood up and left, leaving her half eaten food behind. Shilo noticed the shift between them since yesterday after they came home from the check-up. It put Shilo into a worry frenzy. Shilo also felt a little depressed since Graverobber never came back. She had a feeling he wouldn't come back any time soon. Even though she didn't like it, Shilo had to accept it even if she wanted to or not. After all, she was the one who kicked him out.

The Largo brothers were still present in the Wallace household due to the frantic young girl. She had yet to calm down from her attack and the only person to get through to her was Mia. It took a bit of work, but they finally got a name out of her. Her name was Arielle. Last name was still unknown and her residence was also unknown. And because the attention was on the girl, the Largo brothers were fortunate enough to stay another day though they were still edgy. They knew for a fact they wouldn't be staying for long but knowing they could not be with their women made them want to return to their old selves. Luigi's hand felt itchy, ready to stab or slash someone. Pavi was always looking at himself in the mirror and made compliments to himself. Both of them, though, dared not to leave the house. They feared if they took one step outside it would be their last moment of ever seeing Lina and Mia.

Screams from Arielle had hinted she was awake. Mia stood up and immediately taken her leave to take care of her. Shilo sighed and looked at the brothers. Luigi turned to her and scowled when he felt her staring at him. And by reflex, Shilo look to the ground.

"Why the heck were you staring at us?" Luigi scowled, keeping his tongue in place.

"Oh, well." Shilo paused, feeling nervous. Without Graverobber around and with her two friends ignoring the two men, Shilo felt small and weak like she used to feel.

"You know, you are starting to really irritate me with the hush voice of yours and your damn 'oh, look at me. I'm so fucking weak I can't do anything by myself'," Luigi mocked. Shilo clenched her shirt with both hands while trying to keep her cool.

"Brother, leave her alone. Her lover has already left her. Do not make any worse for the poor bella," Pavi said with disinterest while he looked at himself at the mirror. Luigi's teeth clenched together. He was seething with anger at his younger brother's indifference.

"Shut up, you faggot. Pisses me off when I look at you. You look better with that face-stealing face of yours," he told his brother while he put his sleeves up as if ready to get in a fight with his brother.

Pavi waved him off and smirked.

"Brother is just jealous that the Pavi is more handsome with his returned face," Pavi said, looking to and fro of his pale face in the mirror.

"Like fuck I am, you retard. You are more girly looking than I originally thought," Luigi retorted.

Pavi chuckled before he laid his mirror down and looked over at his brother with confidence on his face. Luigi felt more angry at his smug face. He pounded his fist on the table in anger.

"What's so funny, you fag!" Luigi yelled.

Shilo winced. Throughout the scene, she stayed quiet and let the brothers vent out at each other, but she was bothered by Luigi's loud and booming voice. She didn't want Emma to have another relapse. By that time, the triplets started crying. It was Shilo's cue to leave. She thanked whatever high power helped her escape the argument between the brothers. When she disappeared, the Largo brothers looked at each other in disgust before sitting down and heaving a heavy sigh. They looked like brothers after making the same gesture simulataneously.

"Brother, the Pavi does not feel right," Pavi said quietly.

"No shit," Luigi retorted, "My woman is ignoring me like I'm some fucking plague."

"But Brother has it better. The bella and the Pavi finally got together for it to only end just like that," Pavi said sadly and made a small groan.

"Shut the fuck up! I don't want to hear you complain. I'm the oldest, so you should listen to me and keep your mouth shut while I do so," Luigi huffed.

"Brother, you may be older, but the Pavi is younger. Therefore, the older brother needs to hold back for the younger brother," Pavi pointed out.

"Shut up, you freak! The middle child doesn't get to have a say," Luigi yelled once more.

The kitchen door opened to reveal a rather pissed of Lina. She was about to do some damage control when the kids started fussing about the angry yells. When she stood there, the brothers kept quiet. They knew not to anger her when she was already pissed off.

"If you guys want to stay here a little longer then be quiet or else I will kick you both out right here and now, and then throw out all of your belongings behind you," Lina threatened them quietly. She only stared at Luigi, not even taking a glimpse at Pavi once. Pavi yearned for her to look at him, even if it was just a mere glimpse. He missed her attention. Her warmth.

"Bella..." Pavi uttered. Lina turned away and left quickly, not giving Pavi a chance to speak to her.

"Shit. This is fucking pissing me off," Luigi growled quietly. He hated the feeling of being ignored by his lover. He hated how the peaceful atmosphere spiraled into a haze of problems.

Staying in the Wallace residence was peaceful. Staying there made both brothers feel... normal. For the first time in their lives, they were disciplined for their own good. For once, they found normalcy. They weren't part of the freak show out there. They weren't part of the tabloids. They were just... them. Now, they had to get ready to go back out there. Back to who they were used to be. Back to their destructive selves where it was normal to not be normal. Back to the loneliness only they knew so well.

When Lina got back to the living room, she heard a voice outside of the house. She growled since she heard this male voice before. After she opened the door, she was met with the snake-like smile of the once unconscious Repo man on the other side of the gate. Before he was able to say anything, she slammed the door and went back to what she was doing before she was interrupted. The Repo Man didn't seem to mind. As a matter of fact, he chuckled as if amused. And once again, he started singing in his tone deaf voice to catch her attention.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N**: O.O! I finally get to finish a chapter. This chapter shifts a lot so it goes from a lot of point of views. I hope it didn't get too confusing. Oh, I looked at my poll and only four people voted for this story and two reviews were made for this one too. Combining it, I have five in total which means this story won. I guess I haven't made it clear to the readers for my other stories. And like I said, I will update one story, and it could change depending on reviews and votes. Thanks to **CrystalionTears** (*sigh* I know the feeling. I've been plenty sick this year and I might have gotten sick again recently. Oh, and thank you for the words of encouragement) and **Emoen** (Yep, he's back but for a short time. Personally, he smiles a lot and it freaks me out. I keep imagining that evil and sly smile of his. *shivers*) for the reviews. Well, I let you all read freely now. Hope you like it. ^-^

Chapter Fifteen

Graverobber sat at his usual place on top of his dumpster while counting his credits back and forth. He had sold a lot of the blue glow last night when he left Shilo's home after feeling irritated by her. He stayed over at an abandoned home he found but couldn't get used to the feel. Usually, he would make himself comfortable wherever he is. But no matter what he did, he felt something was missing. And when he woke up, he thought he could smell Shilo's cooking and hear her voice calling for him to wake up and eat breakfast but found himself shaking his head at his delusion when he was only greeted by the empty house.

And now, he's sitting there with a lonely feeling stirring inside him. He had stayed at the Wallace residence for so long that he had gotten accustomed to the routine. He missed Shilo and the children, not that he will admit it out loud. Now, he had to endure the darkness and the sins of others again.

"Hey, Graverobber, are you still selling?" asked one of the zydrate addicts. She was dressed in fishnet stockings and wore clothes that lead little to the imagination. She would have been beautiful if she didn't had such sunken cheeks. Her multi-colored tresses were in knots in some places. When she spoke, her words were slurred.

Graverobber let his thoughts return to the back of his mind and grinned, returning to his business-like self.

"And how are you going to pay this time, Trisha?" Graverobber asked.

The so-called Trisha seductively traced Graverobber's jaw and licked her lips.

"How about I help you release your..." She said before she inserted her hand inside his pants. Graverobber smirked before pulling out her hand. For some reason, he didn't react with lust like he usually did when someone tried to get in his pants for payments. It didn't feel right and he felt nothing.

"No, thanks. I'm good with credits for now. If you don't have any, move on," he told her.

Trisha didn't seem angry nor pleading on her knees for zydrate like all the other addicts do. She merely shrugged and sat next to the dumpster. She looked up at the sky and sighed.

"You've changed," she pointed out. Graverobber looked at her curiously.

"Hm? How so?" He asked.

"Other than being less horny, you always seem to leave early recently as if you had something or someone to go back to," she explained, "And of course, you were less Graverobber-like. How should I say, in a way, less sly like you usually are?"

Graverobber chuckled while leaning his head back as if he heard something rather amusing. After about thirty seconds, he eased his laughter and crossed his arms. A smile had been placed upon his lips and he gently rubbed his chin with his fingers as if thinking about what she said.

"Now that you mention it, I haven't had my daily dose of mentally tormenting my customers with zydrate lately," Graverobber said thoughtfully.

"You look better for the past few months," she added.

He looked over at her. She could feel his stare and looked over at him and gave him a small smile.

"Never imagined you'd be the kind to notice something like that, Tri. And more amazed you'd notice when you are usually in a zydrate induced state."

She let out a chuckle in reply before shaking her head. Her smile turned back into a thin line when she sighed with a sad expression on her face.

"I can't always afford the Z and I only notice when my mental state is stable," she explained, "Let me tell you something, Graverobber. The only reason I take notice of how you act and all is because you remind me of _him._ I once had a brother. He acted quite similar to you. Love made him change for the better though but then... things happened. Now, he's gone. All bones by now along with his lover."

She looked up at the sky again.

"Love kills people, Graverobber. Because with love, there's always something bad that comes with it. That is why nobody dares to love on Sanitarium Island. It gets you killed," she warned.

Graverobber chuckled.

"You seem to be in a philosophical mood," he pointed out. Trisha stood up and chuckled.

"I would like some Z now if you would. Oh, but before you shoot me up, there's one more thing I want to say."

Graverobber's brow went up in curiosity, so he questioned her.

"And that would be?"

"There's always a one percent chance of survival in everything," she said before leaning against the wall, "Now, hit me up."

He stared at her for a moment before shrugging at her words and gave her the dose of zydrate near her exposed thigh. He watched as she moaned and stumbled off to go back into the streets. He sighed and thought back to her words. _Love kills people_. So if it did, did it kill Shilo? Graverobber denied loving her, and the very reason he couldn't say he loves her because he couldn't. He can't. No matter how much he _liked_ her. He couldn't call it love. No matter how much he felt for her, he does not love her. He just couldn't accept it because love caused a lot of unnecessary things. It holds people back. Changes people. Kills people slowly. And of course, Graverobber couldn't have that. Love is a curse. Love causes pain. And in Trisha's words, it kills.

He sighed, trying to return to his normal self. The good ol' Graverobber who is sly in every way. He sneaks in and out, careful not to get caught. He plays mind games to his advantage. He always gets an upper hand because he only cares about himself and his own good. He never gets caught up in other people's troubles other than his own. Well, maybe an exception being with Shilo. He was going to return to what he does best. Becoming himself. That was his resolve. And in doing so, he had to let go of Shilo and everything he had done and felt inside that Wallace household. Yet for some reason, there was a small little empty feeling inside his chest. Why was that? And in his conclusion, he ignored it. Sadly, though, he would find out that this little empty feeling would come back larger than ever in the near future. He wouldn't know of it until it finally hit him big time. Figuratively speaking, of course.

It was plain to see Pavi was none too happy at Eric's (the Repo Man) sudden daily visitations to the Wallace residence lately. He had come by three days straight. Lina got annoyed once and threw a tomato at the Repo Man's head just to make him shut up from his terrible singing. It didn't work too well as he caught the tomato in time and squished it to show he could adequately catch things easily. The next day, which was yesterday, rather than singing he had whistled a tune instead.

Every time Pavi saw his employee trying to catch Lina's attention, he would clench his teeth in anger and annoyance but tried to diminish the feeling when he knew Lina would not succumb to the Repo Man's charms.

Lina and Pavi were not the only ones affected by the presence of the Repo Man. Shilo had a nasty feeling when he turned up at the gates. And of course, she did not allow anyone to let him in and she warned the children as well to be careful if they were to play outside. The warning was clear and the children obeyed. Lina had been there as a chaperone due to Mia taking Shilo to the workplace for business matters.

Lina could see some of the children were hesitant to play outside because of Eric's presence. After all, he is a Repo Man, the ones who caused most of the children to become orphans. Lina took special notice of each child while ignoring Eric. They could have played inside the house, but Lina insisted they faced their fears. And of course, it allows her to question why he is pestering her.

"What do you want, Repo?" She asked in a spiteful tone. Eric grinned in his snake-like smile.

"To see you, love," Eric said. Lina chuckled dryly.

"Well, go get in line because you are the last person-" Lina started before she suddenly was interrupted by a young female voice.

"Un-Uncle?" The girl yelled in a surprised voice. Lina turned around to see Arielle outside with her eyes wide, staring towards them with her mouth gaped open. Tears suddenly filled Arielle's eyes before running to them. Lina turned back to the Repo Man in confusion. Lina noticed the look of surprise on his face. She could even see his jade-colored eyes clearly.

"Arielle?" He called out.

"H-have you come for me?" Arielle asked meekly. This was the first time Lina had ever heard her talk this much. She groaned quietly, knowing full well another complication had occurred.

"Why are you here? I've been looking around for you, even your mother was worried," Eric lectured. Arielle gulped and then her tears finally fell.

"D-dad... he took me. Kidnapped me. He sold me to those three men. I almost... I almost got raped," she said quietly enough for Lina and him to hear. She whimpered at the thought of them touching her in ways she was far too young to go through.

"Why that bastard? I'm going to kill him," Eric growled for only Lina to hear. Lina sighed and looked over at Arielle.

"Why are you outside? Mia gave me strict orders for you to be in bed," Lina told her.

Arielle stayed quiet before looking down on the ground. Her whimpers died down but was replaced to her usual quiet and nervous self.

"I-I want to g-get b-better," Arielle stuttered quietly. Lina shrugged and laid a hand on Arielle's shoulder. Arielle reacted with a wince, still uncomfortable with being around Lina. She seemed to have notice and just rummaged through Arielle's long red hair. Arielle's shoulder went up to her neck and her eyes were squeezed shut at the affection.

"Good. That's one step into improvement. Mia would be so proud of you," Lina said with a smile. Arielle's eyes opened to look up at her. When she saw her smile, her shoulders were relaxed.

"R-really?" Arielle asked hopefully. Lina chuckled and nodded.

"Now, we just need to fix your stuttering," Lina told her and then turned to look at Eric. "Hey, does she always stutter like this?"

Eric sighed and shook her head.

"Even though she's quiet, she speaks quite clearly and never stuttered before," he answered. Lina nodded and then looked over to her and then looked up to see Nate.

"Nate," Lina called out to the young boy. Nate looked up from playing with Emma and walked to her. When he stood next to Lina, Lina spoke up again. "Help Arielle in conversing with the other children."

Nate looked at her questioningly before looking at Arielle with a smile. He took her hand and looked back at Lina. Arielle was surprised he held her hand with ease. She felt uncomfortable by his touch, but she stayed silent. Her cheeks started turning red at the touch.

"If that is what you want, Lina," Nate answered and turned back to looking at Arielle. "Don't worry. It will be all right with me there."

His voice soft, and Arielle couldn't help but blush even redder. He pulled her lightly and started walking. She followed from behind but their hands were still intertwined as if Nate was half-dragging her.

Lina and Eric watched as Nate tried to help her interact. Lina crossed her arms and nodded with acknowledgment. Eric cleared his throat after a few minutes of watching his niece, making Lina turn away from the scene and back to him.

"I hope it's okay if she stays with you for a bit. She might be safer here. Just until I catch that bastard so it wouldn't happen again," Eric said. Lina gave him a suspicious look.

"Is there some other reason you asked her to stay here? Because for some odd reason, I feel like you are hiding something," Lina said without holding back.

Eric chuckled and winked.

"You are quite sharp, aren't you, Lina? But that is a secret, love," he said with a sly grin. Lina growled in distaste, making Eric feel more amused. "Well, I must go. I will come back tomorrow to visit my niece. And while I'm at it, I'll see you too. Arielle!"

Arielle turned around to look over at her uncle. She seemed to still be nervous around the children since her shoulders seemed to meet her neck in a shy manner. Even when Nate did the introductions and tried to help her out, she still couldn't say anything and just watched everyone chat with each other. Her shoulders slowly sinks back down when she heard her uncle's voice call her name. She ran up to him, seemingly relieved to be able told leave the group of children.

"Y-yes, U-uncle E-ric?" She asked innocently.

"I have to go now. I want you stay here for a while until I find it safe for you return. Is it okay with you?" Eric asked kindly, unusually different when speaking with his niece. Lina watched in interest at the difference.

Arielle bit her bottom lip nervously but she nodded.

"O-okay," Arielle answered quietly. Her head sunk low from feeling disappointed.

"Don't be down. Your uncle will be back, and you've got Mia here. So of course, it will be okay," Lina told her, trying to cheer her up. Arielle merely nodded. Lina sighed before rummaging her hair, which made Arielle's hair messy again. And like before, Arielle squeezed her eyes and her shoulders reached her neck once more.

"Well, I'm leaving. Bye, Arielle. Ta-ta, Lina. Until we meet again," he told them, waving as he did so.

"Bye," Lina said without emotion.

"Goo-goodbye, U-uncle. I'll m-miss you," Arielle told him.

Eric nodded before turning around and leaving. When he had gone, Lina let out a sigh again and looked at Arielle.

"To find out you are related to him, it's going to be a shocker to Mia and Shilo when they find out," Lina pointed out. Arielle looked gloomy but she patted her shoulder lightly. "It won't mean anything bad even if they did know. They will just know you've got a family to go back to."

"B-but-" Arielle quietly stuttered.

"No buts. Now, go back to the children. It's high time you get used to them," Lina told her. Arielle merely nodded slowly and walked back to the age group. Lina went back to looking beyond the gate where Eric disappeared. "Why do I have this feeling something bad is about to happen?"

Shilo and Mia stood in the front of Trent's office table. Trent sat on his office chair and looked at both of them. There was a kind smile on his face yet there was some sort of hidden meaning behind it. Mia saw through it while Shilo did not take notice. Mia knew something was up, like Trent was hiding something. It was the very reason Lina would not allow Shilo to be alone with him. Lina even demanded Mia to stay by her side.

"I'm so glad you finished your work so early, Shilo. I've called you here because there's some important business I would like to discuss with you. Since you are quite well informed with a wide variety of subjects other than insects, I would like to propose an offer to you. Instead of getting less pay with your current job, I want you to lead a group of your own making and work on a variety range of projects we have at hand for GeneStein. Of course, the projects include but not limited to research on medicine and your usual research on insects. Other projects include research on new technologies to help save more lives. There's also the use of laboratories for you to test your subjects on. None which includes the lives of _innocent_ people," Trent explained and added a smile at the end when he finished. "So what do you say? This pay raise and promotion will help you even more in raising yourself and your children. You shouldn't pass this offer lightly."

"But this means that I will have to go out more. I can't do that, Trent," Shilo told him.

Trent sighed and shook his head.

"I knew you would say that, but you've got a lot of children to feed, Shilo. Think about them. Think about your future," Trent persuaded. Shilo's brow creased with a thoughtful expression on her face.

Shilo looked up at him and asked, "Will you give me some time to think about it?"

Trent nodded happily.

"I'll give you a week to think this through. Does that sound fair?" Trent asked. Shilo sighed and nodded.

On the other hand, Mia stared at her cousin warily. There was something off about him. And the way he proposed such a good deal, it made Mia feel more suspicious of him. Shilo had only dealt with research on insects. To give Shilo with such sudden and different responsibility and letting her find her own employees with a pay raise and promotion to go with it, it sounded too good to be true. And of course, Mia noticed the way he said "innocent" when he spoke about the proposal. But in a way, Mia hoped she was wrong. After all, he is her cousin raised by her deceased aunt and uncle. The only family members she loved who treated her like a human, and in a way, like a daughter.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N**: Whew, this chapter is hard to write. Got to say, I like Eric the Repo Man's part in this chapter. He freaks me out, but I like him. Well, not in real life though. Thank you to **CrystalionTears** (Glad you found out. I was hoping to get one of those children to be related to the Repo Man in some way. At first, I wanted him to be a brother but then I scratched it out and made him an uncle. And yeah, love does kill. The main figures of that truth is Nathan Wallace and Rotti Largo) and **Emoen** (Yep, the bad people are getting more interesting) for the reviews. You two are the best for always reviewing. ^-^

Chapter Sixteen

After the startling discovery of finding out Arielle's uncle is Eric (the Repo Man), Shilo felt ultimately uneasy. Mia, like always, showed no expression from the information. Lina seemed frustrated, which was evident since her hair seemed disheveled from rubbing her hand against her hair in annoyance. It took several minutes before Mia stood up as if ready to announce something.

"We shall take care of her until her uncle comes back to take her back home," Mia said. Shilo and Lina looked up at her.

"Then that means that Repo will come visit her often," Lina pointed out. Mia shrugged with her usual non-expressive face.

"I don't mind just as long he doesn't come inside," Shilo told them. Mia and Lina nodded, but Lina couldn't help but sigh in aggravation.

"If he annoys me, I'm gonna go into hiding. I can't get anymore stressed than this," Lina said.

Shilo nodded with much understanding.

"Oh yes, I forgot to mention something. Trent gave me a proposition. If I take the job, I will get a promotion and a higher job in the research and development department. I could find my own team to work projects on. The downside of this is that I won't be able to watch over the children as much," Shilo explained with a sigh. Lina stared at her with a serious look before standing up and going near the exit.

"I don't like Trent, no matter how nice he is. And of course, my answer would be to decline him. What is your choice, Shilo?" Lina asked.

Shilo frowned at how angry Lina gets at Trent's name but sighed once again in the end.

"I have a week to choose," Shilo answered, "I have plenty of time to think about the pros and cons before I decide. Why are you so against Trent anyways? He's a good guy."

Lina growled before she held the knob of the kitchen door.

"If only you knew," Lina whispered but then said out loud, "It's your life and whatever choice you make, I will not get in the way. But in all seriousness, Shilo, there are some things that are too good to be true. And in the end, it does more bad than good."

She left without another word, making Shilo's eyes widened at the sudden statement. It felt as though Lina was warning her, pushing her to decline the proposition. Shilo then looked up to Mia for advice. Mia walked towards her and laid a hand on her shoulder for comfort.

"Shilo, it may seem Lina is judgmental against Trent but she is trying to put your safety first. She's experienced hardships that even you cannot imagine and maybe more so than me," Mia informed her.

"I know she is trying to protect me, but Trent hasn't done anything bad. From day one, she already disliked him. He hasn't said or done anything that may have put that much dislike towards him," Shilo pointed out.

Mia chuckled and shook her head.

"Trent is my cousin but even I find something odd about him. But without concrete evidence, I didn't say anything," Mia said. Her eyes glanced to the door before looking back at Shilo.

Shilo stared at Mia with a confused look.

"So do you think he's a bad guy then? Should I be careful around him?" Shilo asked. Mia shrugs in reply.

"I am not sure. He is the son of my saviors, and I have no intention of disliking him and going against him without evidence," Mia informed her. She patted Shilo's shoulder and making her way towards the door.

"Mia, wait," Shilo called out. Mia turned around and Shilo had a pained look on her face. "Do you think Rave will come back?"

Mia gave her a small smile and said, "If there is such a thing as fate or destiny then he will come to you. If not, then maybe he isn't the man you should wait for." She left without another word.

Shilo lowered her head and her eyes seemed to be blurred. And a few seconds later, tears fell from her eyes. She sniffled and looked up at the ceiling.

"I miss you, Graverobber," Shilo whispered before closing her eyes as if trying to stop the tears.

Meanwhile, Graverobber started to wake up in the afternoon with the sun still shining clearly in the sky. He groaned as he tried to massage his shoulders and then rubbed his back from the aches of the hard bed he was sleeping on. He had found another vacant shelter. This one a bit worse than the one he found before.

He walked around with his feet dragging on the floor, making shuffling noises wherever he went. He looked through the fridge to see moldy food with some larvae starting to form on some others. Graverobber didn't seem to be disgusted from the sight but closed it in the end when he couldn't find anything edible. He sighed and plopped onto the couch to rest there for a moment and sighed.

"It's quiet. I hate quiet," Graverobber said out loud, "Where's the noise? Where's the fun?"

He sighed once again and shook his head. A few seconds later, he closed his eyes. At first, it was just pitch black until something bright entered his closed eyes. He saw Shilo. She was smiling and waving at him. Subconsciously, he stood up and tried to reach her. When he thought he reached her, he tried to grab her but found nothing but air. He opened his eyes to see himself almost hitting a wall. He cursed under his breath from thinking about her.

"Am I missing the Lovebug?" Graverobber whispered only to himself, "Shit. I'm too far in."

"Too far in what?" A voice suddenly asked. Graverobber jumped a bit and turned around to see Eric, the Repo Man, standing with a sly smile on his face with his helmet held on one side under his arm. Graverobber returned his smile with one of his own.

"Oh, lookie here. I'm being stalked by a Repo Man. So what may the Graverobber be of assistance?" He said in his usual Graverobber style.

"Ah, yes. The famous Graverobber of the streets that even Amber Sweet doesn't dare to destroy. Captured but never destroyed," Eric said in a light tone yet the aura around him seemed dark in contrast.

"That, my dear friend, is because I'm still useful. If zydrate exists, then I must exist," Graverobber informed him.

Eric chuckled and shook his head.

"And as long as people need organs, then a Repo Man exists. But nothing lasts forever, Grave-rob-ber," Eric said but said Graverobber's name playfully.

Graverobber chuckled and made his way to the couch and sat down.

"True. But you still haven't answered my question," Graverobber pointed out.

Eric shrugged and said, "I'm searching for someone but unintentionally met you. Have you seen this man?"

He pulled his wrist communicator and pulled up a face of a haggard man. He had short messy red hair that pointed everywhere. His eyes were droopy as if he wanted to sleep but wasn't able to. There were bags under his eyes. And in Graverobber's view, he looked like a mess.

"Nope," he said with a less caring shrug, "Does he live here?"

Repo eyed him questioningly but he let out one of his usual creepy wide smile.

"A little birdie told me he hid here two days ago," he said. He turned to the door but did not budge. His back faced Graverobber. "I wouldn't ask too many questions if I were you, Mr. Graverobber or else you might be in a place even you cannot dig out of." His voice sounded gentle yet the threat is evident in the words.

As if Graverobber understood, he put his hands up in surrender even if Eric wouldn't be able to see it. Fear was nowhere seen on Graverobber's face. In truth, he seemed to have his usual playful grin on his face. He seemed quite used to facing danger that it was no longer scaring him.

"Thanks for the warning. I'll take note of that," Graverobber replied. Eric chuckled and turned around to meet his eyes.

"Oh yes, I forgot to mention. You'd better protect your girl... Shilo Wallace, was it?" Eric said with a smirk. Graverobber immediately froze but immediately returned to his casual self. He cursed inwardly at showing his weakness.

"Hm? What do you mean? Why would I know about the lost princess?" Graverobber asked lightly, pretending to not understand yet his toes curled up in restraint.

"Even when my eyes were only on Lina, It doesn't mean I didn't see you. You may dress and look differently in that house, but I clearly know it's you," Eric said, his snake-like appearance shown even more in his expression.

Graverobber sighed and dropped his facade. His hands on either side of himself and closed his eyes for a second and then open them. He snarled and laid his back against the wall while his arms were folded.

"Oh well. I got caught. So, what do you mean by protecting the little princess?" Graverobber asked to the point. He looked serious for the first time.

"I heard a rumor. The rebels are using her as a sacrificial lamb to make war against GeneCo. Let's say, she's going to be used and then killed off for the sake of 'change'," Eric answered. He gave one last smirk before leaving.

Graverobber's hand was fisted into a ball before hitting the wall, damaging his knuckles. But for now, he seemed not to care. And in an instant, he knew he had to warn them. Yet, could he really return there after being kicked out? And of course, if he decided to tell them then he would also be in the middle of a danger zone that could possibly kill him. Was it worth his life to tell?

It had been around six o'clock that Lina was suddenly contacted. She stayed outside after she told Nate they were done from his self-defense lesson. Thankfully, he was inside when she was called. Pierre's face showed on her communicator a second later after it vibrated and rang. Without any delay, she answered and heard the French-accented man speak. Her eyes suddenly darkened when he gave her bad news.

"Mon cherie, I have urgent business to tell you. One of our people had been killed. It seems someone has found us out. And one more thing, there was a message carved on his chest," Pierre told her. Lina growled in anger.

"What did it say?" Lina asked through clenched teeth.

"Please calm down when I tell you this, mon fleur," Pierre said while his voice was laced with worry.

"Just tell me, damn it!" Lina barked quietly.

"It's time, Shilo," he told her nervously. Lina's eyes widened before she scowled.

"I'll come right away," she told him before ending the call. She scowled and pounded her fist against the outside walls of the house. She tried to calm down as much as she could. And when she felt slightly calm again, she entered the house again and accidentally slamming the door as she closed it behind her.

"Mia! Shilo! Everyone come into the living room!" Lina yelled like a mother would call her children to eat dinner.

Lina could hear footsteps coming all around. Children were filing out of the children's room. Nate came out from the kitchen. The downstairs bathroom opened to reveal Luigi. Upstairs, Shilo and Mia came down while both of them carried the triplets. Shilo merely carried one while Mia carried the other two. Pavi was already in the living room and jumped at Lina's booming voice as she entered the living room to call everyone. When everyone had entered the living room, Lina crossed her arms and looked at everyone as if she was doing a head count.

"Since everyone's here now, I will start," Lina started, looking rather serious which caught everyone's attention other than the baby triplets who are much too young to care or notice.

"What is this freaking about?" Luigi asked, irritated. He wasn't even finished doing his business in the bathroom due to the lack of going to hotels with Mia.

"Shut it, Luigi," Lina told him seriously, calling his name for the first time. This startled Luigi and somehow made him shut his mouth immediately.

"No one is to leave the house today no matter the reason other than me. Understood?" Lina ordered. She then looked over to Mia and Shilo. "Mia. Shilo. I want you to turn on the emergency security and alarm when I leave. Do not turn it off even if I come home. Do not let anyone else in or out."

Shilo gasped and both Mia's and Shilo's eyes widened at the hint. It was then Shilo spoke up but stuttered as she did so.

"W-what about R-Rave?" Shilo asked.

Lina quirked her eyebrow.

"What about him?" Her voice sounded unhappy at the mention of the runaway.

"What if he returns?" Shilo asked meekly.

"Then tough for him because he's an idiot for returning on the most crucial day," Lina answered harshly. "He had been alerted that if he left this house again, he isn't going to return."

"But I made him leave!" Shilo answered angrily. Lina shook her head and sighed, a headache starting to slowly form in her head.

"I meant what I said. No one is to come in and out. No matter what," Lina told her. "The consequences are dire. You could get zapped into oblivion if you force your way in."

Shilo gasped as she imagined the horror of what is to come of the tresspasser. It sent shivers down Shilo's spine.

Lina ignored Shilo's reaction and turned to the Largo brothers with deep concentration.

"Both of you shall be staying for a little longer. Your safety is as much important as Shilo's," Lina told them.

Pavi and Luigi looked at her surprised but Luigi only merely nodded. Both of them do not understand what is going on though they had the gist that something bad is going to happen. Other than confusion, Pavi looked at her with worry.

"What will happen to you, bella?" Pavi asked.

Lina gave a slight smile towards Pavi. Pavi's eyes widened from her expression. He noticed how she stared at him with care in her eyes. He had missed that look. He hadn't seen it for a while.

"Nothing will happen," she promised him. Pavi merely nodded, still shocked. She then turned to the door and without looking back, she said, "Nate. Hero. Protect this family. Hero, you have the most experience, so make sure you and everyone are safe. And if you must, dirty your hands. Both of you. Understood?"

Since Hero couldn't speak, Nathan answered for him. "Both Hero and I understand, Lina."

Lina turned her head slightly to the left and a small smile was placed on her lips at knowing the two would keep their promise. The thing is, she didn't want them to kill. She didn't want Hero to kill again, and she didn't want Nate to stain his hands with blood. But in this circumstance, sometimes, it was the best. She turned back to the door and left without another word. The future was hazy. But like always on Sanitarium Island, there would be blood shed. But the thing is, whose blood shall be shed?


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N**: O.O! It's been a while I've updated this fast, and I've got to say that I like this chapter. If this chapter gives you somewhat goosebumps, tell me. It means I have done something right. If not, well, I haven't. *laughs* Well, I guess I have to thank only **Emoen** (Yep, it is getting intense. And well, I guess you can be rest assured that I won't kill Graverobber. He's too resourceful to be killed off. lol. Thanks for your honesty. Graverobber is a cool guy and well, Pavi is the Pavi) and **CrystalionTears** (Well, if you like last chapter. I hope you like this chapter too) again for always reviewing. You two may be the only ones who are willing to review, but I don't mind. ^-^. Enjoy and hope you guys like it!

Chapter Seventeen

Lina stared blankly at the body before her. A male, early twenties. His name was Kyle Arden. He used to be assassin turned office worker for a small business. He worked underneath Lina when she saved him from a life of insanity due to post-traumatic stress disorder. He had visions of the people he killed in his assassin days. But due to Lina's and Mia's influence, he was able to recover his sanity before he himself lost himself into the depths of guilt and fear. And now, he is laid before Lina and killed off in the most gruesome way. His face was no longer there but just a mutilated form. The words etched on his body were made with a sharp knife like that of a carving knife.

Lina sighed and turned away. Louis placed the white sheet back to cover Kyle's whole body. Louis is the medical examiner. Before Lina came, he examined the body and found nothing else but his mutilated face and the carved words on his body. There was nothing that told of any under handed tricks, and it disturbed Louis greatly for Kyle was one of the many good ex-assassins out there. It was purely a kill. No blunt forces from behind or anything as such.

"And you are sure you found nothing else?" Lina asked.

"Nothing else," Louis answered. She clenched her hand into a fist before sighing and letting go after.

"What would you want us to do, mon amour?" Pierre asked. He was beside Lina as she examined the body with Louis from her other side.

"Get all of our men off the streets. If this has happened, there will surely be another kill and we can't have our men getting killed off. The time will come when our forces shall go into action. And if anybody is to go out, they cannot go alone," Lina told him. Pierre nodded and left quickly to give the message.

Lina then looked to Louis.

"Louis, if anything were to happen to me, I want you to tell Pierre he will be in charge," Lina stated. Louis froze and looked at Lina in disbelief.

"What are you-" Louis was cut off before he could finish.

"Precaution," she answered simply and then added, "No matter what, do not get yourself killed. Someone like you is needed since I'm not the only person you are working for."

Lina left without another word. Sadness was etched on her face as she thought back to Kyle. She shook her head, not allowing such thoughts take over.

Graverobber worked like always. He sold his zydrate even when bad things were happening. After all, there is no such thing as a day off. Things were going good so far before he heard a particular click of the heels on concrete. Graverobber groaned and looked around to see if he had enough time to hide. But sadly, he was caught when Amber Sweet saw him.

"Graverobber," she called out his name in a breathy manner. "Why do I need you at all?"

"Well, Amber Sweet, I carry your addiction," Graverobber said playfully. He noticed her two big built bodyguards behind her. Amber Sweet rolled her eyes before she stood before him and traced a line on Graverobber's chest.

"I want some. Here's the credits," Amber Sweet said and snapped her fingers. One of her bodyguards handed the credits to Graverobber. Graverobber gladly accepted it and gave her the vial of the blue glow. Recently, Amber Sweet did not want to get any shots and only wanted the vial instead. It may be due to the magazines taking photos of her laying in the alley in ecstasy for the first time after she took over. Amber Sweet had a bad day that day when she found out the Repo Men were slowly diminishing in numbers. She couldn't have any more bad publicity as of late and vowed to not make that mistake again.

And without another word, Amber Sweet left. When she did, Graverobber gave a sigh of relief. He was glad he didn't have to deal with her. With his last vial sold, he started making his way out of the alley.

And for some reason, he was walking blindly into the streets until he found himself in front of the gates of Shilo's home. He was startled at how his mind automatically took him to this place. It was as if it was a sign. Well, in his own strange mind, it felt like it was a sign.

"Since I'm here, I might as well warn her about the rebels," Graverobber whispered to himself. When he called out and rang the bell many times and found nobody coming out to greet him, Graverobber sighed and thought about climbing over the wall to get to her house. After all, it was around twelve o'clock he had appeared here.

Unknown to him, the surrounding area had been placed with security precautions. If someone to touch the top of the walls, they would be electrocuted non-stop until they turned into charcoal, not even a fly would possibly survive from the hidden electric current.

Just as Graverobber made up his mind to climb over, he saw a bird slowly descending on top of the wall. And as it lightly touch the wall, a bright blue light suddenly appeared sparking beneath the bird and it had been zapped until it finally fell dead next to Graverobber's feet. He saw the smoke still coming out of of the bird. Wide-eyed and in utter disbelief, he was glad he had Lady Luck beside him.

"What are you doing here?" A voice interrupted his shock from before. He turned around to see a glaring Lina. "Be careful not to make the slightest touch on the gates, you'd be just like that bird." She pointed at the charred bird for effect.

Graverobber looked behind him and found he was very close to the gates. He must have made a few steps back without realizing it. Indeed, he chuckled lightly and moved away from the gates and back against the wall. Bad move. Because in an instant, Lina shoved him against the wall with a knife held against his neck. Graverobber's breath hitched and his hands were up in surrender. He was clearly scared and Lina's unrelentless glare didn't help matters. But several seconds later, Lina let go and stepped a few paces back with a smile on her face. Graverobber didn't notice since he was leaning over and giving a sigh of relief. When he felt his breath return, he looked up and saw Lina smirking at him.

"Scared you, didn't I?" Lina asked. Graverobber crossed his arms.

"Obviously," Graverobber answered and unconsciously touched his neck where the sharp blade almost touched his skin. "What was that scare for?"

Lina shrugged and said, "For leaving Shilo behind, idiot."

"You look like you really wanted to kill me," Graverobber pointed out. Lina glared at him for a moment and sighed.

"I did," she answered simply with an uncaring tone. Graverobber winced at the answer. "But I prefer not to be hated by Shilo."

Graverobber rubbed the back of his neck at the mention of Shilo's name. He could feel the yearning inside him but ignored it in whatever way he can by replacing it as his usual lust. There was a moment his mind's eye flashed to a part where they both held each other in an embrace without a care about the life outside that house, but he shook it away. He couldn't allow him to go through memories. It would make him pull back to that life of domestication, in which Graverobber is not. Graverobber was thankfully taken out of his thoughts when Lina spoke up again.

"You haven't answered my question. Why are you here?" Lina asked.

"Well, I wanted to pay her back for letting me stay here, so I thought I would warn her about the rebellion. You remember that unconscious Repo Man?" Graverobber asked. Lina silently nodded. "Well, he came to see me today and told me he heard a rumor that the rebels are going to use Shilo as a sacrificial lamb for change. I guess your predictions were right."

Lina's eyes darkened, which could make even Graverobber's spine tingle in fear.

"He told you that?" She asked. Graverobber nodded. "Then it seems it has really started."

"It seems so," Graverobber agreed.

"Are you going to stay?" Lina asked. Graverobber nodded.

"I don't like to be in the middle of a crossfire," he admitted truthfully.

"She misses you, you know," Lina told him quietly, "Don't be a coward and hide."

"I admit. I cower and hide, but I lived for so long because I'm a free-spirit. I don't like to stay in one place for too long." Graverobber let out a shrug after he finished.

Lina chuckled and shook her head.

"Don't regret your decision, Graverobber. Or else it might be your last," Lina told him. Graverobber was startled at how she knew his occupation. How did she find out? As if reading his thoughts, she answered, "I've been on the streets before, and you are pretty well-known to be _the_ Graverobber who is well-recognized by all other Graverobbers and addicts. Truthfully, I saw you once. You haven't changed much."

Graverobber was pretty surprised. And of course, Graverobber knew a lot of people and he would surely have recognized Lina from how she looks and the way she acts. It was pretty hard not to remember her.

She then went to the intercom and used her voice to say open. The voice recognition found her in its database and then a bright light showed, and Lina leaned in and opened her eye for it to make an eye recognition. There was a sound of a light beep and a mechanized voice saying, "open". She looked back at Graverobber with a smirk.

"Last chance, Rave," Lina told him, calling him by his false name.

He got out of his shock and shook his head. Lina sighed before she opened the gates and closed it. The instant the gate was closed, it automatically went to lock and security mode. There was even a warning that the security is up.

"All tresspassers shall be punished severely," the mechanized voice said and nothing more came. Lina turned around to look at Graverobber again.

"I gave you a chance. Don't regret it," Lina repeated before she turned around, walked up to the door, unlocked it, and entered it with the door closed behind her.

Graverobber noticed how ominous it sounded. As if in a way, she knew he would never see Shilo again. It actually made him worried, but he didn't have time for worries like that. He already gave out the message he wanted. It was time he walked away and find shelter. But inside him, his stomach twisted and turned uncomfortably. He had a bad feeling. And usually, Graverobber's intuition was almost always right. But of course, he continued on and couldn't look back. He made the decision. And now, he had to live with it. Like he always has.

An hour later, a lone figure stood in front of the gates of the Wallace. The figure's face was hidden behind a mask. The figure seemed to be a male even if he may have been quite thin for the usual male. As if knowing, he threw a pebble against the gates and a spark of blue light appeared around the pebble as it turned into ashes.

"I see," he spoke, though his voice seemed quite mechanical, "But how long can you hide, Shilo? Your fate awaits."

Even though his face was hidden, it gave off a feeling he was smirking behind the mask. And a second later, he walks back to the direction he had just passed.

_She could hear the screams all around her. Endless screams that would not stop. She hears gunshots. Footsteps everywhere. Crying._

_She could see fire surrounding her. Dark outlines of figures with no face. She could see no way out._

_She could feel the pain. Could feel the fear entering her. She could sense the evil out there. It was so hot. So very hot as if she was actually burning._

_She could smell the burning corpses. The dead. She could smell the smoke from the fire. She could smell her own damp sweat._

_She could taste her blood. Her own blood._

_"Shilo," a voice whispered near her ear, "It's time."_

_A chuckle resounded, haunting her._

Shilo woke up with cold sweat. She felt sick to her stomach. She could literally feel the vile forming in her throat. She got off the bed in an instant and ran into the bathroom, accidently closing the door behind her with a loud thud. But without another second, she dump the the contents from her stomach and into the toilet. It took her two minutes for her to empty the contents in her body. She fell on her knees, weakened from vomitting. Shilo shivered at the thought of her nightmare, and she wondered if it is a vision of what is to come. And if it was, Shilo couldn't help but be curled up in the bathroom, rocking herself back and forth as if it would comfort her fear.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N**: O.O! Once again, I've updated quickly. And of course, there will most likely be mistakes in the chapter because how lengthy it became. By the time I finished this chapter, my brain pretty much became muddled. Hope you guys like it, mistakes and all. Thanks to **CrystalionTears** (Glad to know you like last chapter. I kind of love suspense), **Emoen** (Yay, that's the comment I looked foward to see. I wanted to add a cringing element in there for good measure. And of course, your wish is granted since I did update. ^-^), and **MotherGothelFan1** (I'm glad to hear you again. Oh, and happy late Birthday! ^-^. I wish I could have updated yesterday on your birthday. Hope you don't mind if I updated this chapter today. I made it especially long enough for the special occassion) for their lovely reviews. Well, I hope everyone like this chapter as well. I had to think through twice with how I wanted this chapter to be but decided to follow my gut feeling and made this chapter the way it is. I know it seems to be going rather fast, but this was done on purpose. Well, enjoy! ^-^

Chapter Eighteen

Mia was slightly startled to find Shilo sitting on the chair near the dining table. She was paler than her usual pale skin and she had a blank look on. The most unusual thing about it is that Shilo would already be cooking breakfast at this time. Mia knew something must have happened for Shilo to act like this, so she decided to walk towards her and laid a hand on her shoulder to get her attention. Shilo jumped at the touch and looked at Mia in horror. And of course, Mia definitely knew something was wrong for her to react like this.

"M-Mia, you scared me for a second there," Shilo said with a small smile though she let out a sigh of relief.

"What's wrong? You seem a little restless," Mia asked with concern. Shilo shook her head.

"I-it's nothing. It's something silly," Shilo said nervously. Mia didn't seem to believe it, and most definitely doubts Shilo was okay.

"Tell me," she simply stated, leaving no space for Shilo to protest. Shilo sighed once again but in surrender this time.

"I... well, I had a nightmare," Shilo told her. It was then she explained in detail of her dream to Mia. Mia's eyes widened slightly before immediately became expressionless.

"I see. No wonder you seemed pretty occupied, but you shouldn't dwell on it too much. After all, it is a nightmare," Mia told her. Shilo couldn't help but nod in agreement though she still felt slightly scared.

Soon after, Lina came in with a yawn and stared around the kitchen. She let out a sigh and sat on a chair and stretched her arms. Mia and Shilo stared at her. Lina noticed and looked at them with a quirked eyebrow.

"What?" She asked.

"Where did you go last night?" Shilo asked.

"I will tell you later," Lina answered, seemingly reluctant to say anything now, "Oh, I met your boyfriend last night, Shilo."

Shilo froze for a bit before she looked at Lina apprehensively.

"A-and?" Shilo stuttered.

Lina sighed and shrugged, "I asked if he wanted to come in, but he didn't want to. He said some crap about being a free-spirit and not wanting to be involved with danger."

Shilo's shoulders slumped and she looked down sadly.

"Oh," she muttered.

"Don't worry. He's just being an idiot. He will come around," Lina said comfortingly. Suddenly, she felt her stomach growling and looked over at Shilo. "So... where's breakfast? I thought breakfast would be done already when I came in."

Shilo's eyes widened and noticed the time. She gasped and stood up immediately. She started to take out ingredients and other things in a rush.

"I'll help," Mia told her. Shilo smiled and nodded.

"Thanks, Mia," Shilo told her. They both busied themselves in the kitchen while Lina lazed around.

Lina looked up at the ceiling in deep thought. She couldn't stop thinking about the message on Kyle's body. It was quite hard for her. She couldn't manage to break the news to Shilo and Mia. This would literally put more stress on Shilo. Something that Lina did not want. Before she knew it, Mia and Shilo had already finished making breakfast.

Right when Mia and Shilo were about to announce breakfast is ready, Luigi and Pavi entered.

"About time. A little late than usual, don't you think Wallace?" Luigi spat. He pulled the chair and let it down with a thud. He plopped down and crossed his arms.

Pavi, on the other hand, sat next to Lina. He smiled at her and laid an arm around her shoulder, testing if she would move his arm. Surprisingly, she didn't. He became braver an nuzzled his nose against her neck and pulled her closer. And again, she did nothing and allowed him to do so. Luigi sneered in disgust but took a glimpse at Mia, who seemed to ignore him. He looked away and mumbled curses under his breath.

Shilo could feel the tension and anger from Luigi. He was hardly hiding his dissatisfaction. Shilo wonders why the Largo brothers were still staying in her house when they seemed so miserable here. Well, not so much for Pavi anymore. And of course, Shilo noticed how strange Lina was acting. Not that her acting strange was unusual. She was just acting... more strange than her usual odd behavior if that makes any sense.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you guys something," Shilo said, looking at Luigi and then Pavi.

"Yeah? Spit it out," Luigi said unpatiently, tapping his fingers on the table.

"Your sister called me and told me to tell you two are to go back to GeneCo tomorrow," Shilo told them. Luigi and Pavi froze at the message.

"What the hell?" He yelled but only loud enough for those in the kitchen while he stood up in anger. "When did you get this message?"

"Last night when everyone was already asleep," Shilo answered. "_While I was in the bathroom, thinking about the nightmare_," she thought. She shivered slightly at the thought of her dream.

"Guess you guys have no choice. I'll make sure to put the defenses down on that day," Lina said. She pushed Pavi off, making Pavi whimper at the parting of her warmth.

Nothing left was said. Everyone stayed silent afterwards. In a few seconds, Shilo finally left the kitchen to announce breakfast was ready to the children. The tension in the kitchen made her feel too stuffy that she could no longer be situated in there. And for some reason, she felt bad for the Largo brothers. On the other hand, she felt a little jealous of their devotion to stay in her house to stay with their lovers. Even though Shilo kicked Graverobber out, she wished he would yell at her and tell her he isn't going anywhere. But in the end, he left, and it broke her heart. A part of her became incomplete when he left without looking back at the slightest. She wanted him back, but she couldn't go after him. After all, she would rather he be safe than in danger.

"Mommy?" Emma asked. Shilo was out of her thoughts as she heard the voice of her 'daughter'. She was startled to find out she and Emma are the only ones in the children's room. Shilo wondered how long she stood there for, but the tugging took her away from the question. She looked down and smiled at the little girl.

"Yes, Emma?" Shilo asked softly.

"You miss him, don't you?" Emma questioned. Shilo froze, the question being effective. She knew who she meant.

"Yes, Emma," she answered truthfully.

"Why not take him back? Why doesn't he come back?"

Shilo felt tears starting to sting in her eyes. She didn't know why she felt so sensitive, but the question really threw her off. It was as if it sounded like she was abandoning him and vice versa.

"There are times a person leaves for the best, Emma. Sometimes, you've got to let them go," Shilo answered to the best of her abilities, knowing full well how hurt she was as she answered.

"Mommy, is he your prince or your knight?" Emma slightly tilted her head to the left innocently.

Shilo looked surprised and wondered what was in Emma's mind.

"What do you mean, Emma?"

"Well," Emma started, tapping her forefinger at her chin as if thinking of how to word things. When she finally got it, she said cheerfully, "A knight comes and goes, but a prince is once in a lifetime. So is Daddy your knight or a prince?"

Once again, Shilo was completely caught surprised by what Emma said and her question. She wonders where she gets such simple yet difficult ideas from. But then again, Shilo noticed she was starting to read romance novels. Obviously, she wouldn't allow her to read those adult books with sexual references in them and even more so when they are actually detailed. Well, Shilo couldn't always be innocent, can she? And the one who gave her such books in the first place was Mia, which made Shilo do a double take back then.

"I don't know, Emma. I don't know," Shilo answered truthfully in a whisper.

Emma looked up and nodded with a smile.

"It's okay, Mommy. Most girls don't know if they have a knight or prince, but they will in the end," Emma told her comfortingly. Just for a moment, Shilo thought she could see white wings behind Emma's back and a halo shining her whole form. But as soon as it came, it disappeared just like that.

"Well, it's time to get food. If you don't hurry, all the pancakes will be gone," Shilo told her. Emma's eyes widened in excitement. She nodded and hurriedly made her way to the kitchen. Shilo let out a sigh of relief. Emma was a handful.

When everyone went on their daily business after breakfast, Luigi took this time to speak to Mia in her room. When he entered, Mia was busy with paperworks and such. He closed the door behind him with a loud thud to make her notice him. And like he predicted, she turned and looked up to see him.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Luigi half-yelled and half-whispered.

"What do you mean?" Mia said nonchalantly.

"You and I. What the fuck are we? Are all those times in bed mean nothing to you? Why the fuck are you avoiding me?" Luigi seethed in anger. Usually, women would be confronting this situation with their men, but this couple seemed rather the exception. Mia was the emotionless one while Luigi was expressive.

"I'm sure, Mr. Largo, you wanted to have some fun. What I am to you is no longer relevant. The fun is over, and I am sure you do not like to be tied down. We both know we used each other because we wanted something in return, and that is what we are. Nothing more than a casual lay," Mia answered without an ounce of expression on her face and voice.

Luigi was startled by the relevation, but it angered him even more. He surely thought they had something. Something that was unusual in Sanitarium Island. Yet once again, he felt like he got played. All of it was a false lie, and he felt abandoned again. The pain coursed throughout his body, but he wouldn't be weak. Not to the ones who had hurt him. And most definitely, she had hurt him. He wanted revenge. Oh yes, he did. And once Luigi was focused on something, he was sure to go through with it to the end.

But unknown to him, all Mia said earlier was a lie. She hid her feelings all for Luigi's sake even when it hurts her ultimately inside as she spilled those venomous words. She loved him. She really did, but it was for his safety that she lied. Because behind it all, she knew there was a chance she would hurt him. And before it went any deeper, she had to cut the ties. Make him hate her. And most definitely, she knew Luigi wanted to kill her. She actually preferred to die by his hands. She had hoped she hurt him enough that even if he killed her, he would feel no sadness towards her death.

"If that is all, you should leave. I've got plenty of work to do," Mia said with her usual indifference.

"You are fucking piece of art, aren't you? Seducing me and then making me feel these damned feelings. Some day, I'm going to make you pay. Mark my words, woman," Luigi spat in anger. He glared at her and took out his knife.

"I'm sure you can, Mr. Largo, but I am not idiotic enough to allow you to. You see, I'm not like the others that you can easily kill. And if you were to kill me, be more challenging because right now you are pretty pathetic. To think we had something, you are pretty gullible," Mia said it with ease.

Luigi held his knife tightly enough to make his knuckles white. He saw blood, but he knew Mia was right. He shouldn't let his temper get to him right now. He needed to plan a gruesome death for his 'precious' woman. He will definitely feel most satisfied to see her blood soil on his hands. Nobody makes a fool out of Luigi Largo.

He turned away and walked out the door. He put the knife back into its original place. Even if Luigi wanted revenge, something small in the part of his mind kept pestering him. Telling him there was something wrong. Telling him that her words from earlier weren't true. Telling him he loved her too much to even go through with the plan. And lastly, telling him he would only feel pain in the end if he did.

He growled and ignored the small voice in his head. Nobody was going to stop him, not even himself. He felt pain before, and he could handle it. This time wasn't going to be anything new.

"_But what if you couldn't handle it? What if her death was a mistake_?" His mind asked him.

"_Shut the fuck up_," Luigi retorted back to his conscious. And it did.

Lunch arrived soon enough, and things started to change quickly. Luigi yelled out suddenly that he wanted to go back to GeneCo. Pavi, on the other hand, did not. And the most surprising thing was, GenCops arrived at the gates.

"Brother, did you call the GenCops?" Pavi asked in surprise.

Luigi glared at his brother to assume he did. He may be very angry at the moment, but he wasn't going to call the GenCops without reason. And right now, he had no reason to do so. Shilo looked scared. Mia seemed to be focus in thought. Meanwhile, Lina just looked aggravated.

"So nobody knows the reason why they are here?" Shilo asked. There was no reply, giving her an answer. She wondered now what possible reason would GenCops appear in front of her home. Her question seemed to be answered right after that thought.

"We are hereby arresting Lina Masters for her criminal deeds in killing off legalized Repo Men. If you do not give her up, we shall take drastic measures in taking her in," said one GenCop using a megaphone, seemingly the leader of the group.

Shilo gasped. When she heard noises, she turned around to see the children looking especially worried as they came filing out the children's room.

"What's happening?" Nate asked worried.

"Children, go back inside," Mia ordered.

"Except for Nate and Hero," Lina said.

The children seemed reluctant, but they went back in when Shilo gave them a look. Nate and Hero stood with worry, and Lina turned around.

"It's time for you two to protect this family," Lina said suddenly towards Hero and Nate, making everyone worried even Mia was worried as well.

"What do you mean?" Nate questioned. He looked rather scared at the comment.

Lina smiled and said, "No time for me to answer that. Go back inside the room."

"But-" Nate started but Lina put her hand up to stop him.

"Go. No buts," Lina said sternly. Nate and Hero looked reluctant but did as she told but not before Nate and Hero hugged her. Not knowing it may be the last time.

"What the hell?" Luigi said after he heard the children's door closed. "You couldn't have killed the Repo Men."

"I am warning you once again to give up Lina Masters," said the leader of the GenCops.

Luigi opened the door and yelled, "Shut the fuck up, you fucking bastards!" He then shut the door again. The GenCops were surprised to see Luigi Largo there. Suddenly, Luigi's wrist communicator had a call coming in by his sister.

Luigi growled and answered the call, "I don't have time for you. Call me later." He was about to end the call, but Amber Sweet spoke up.

"You retards, I want you guys to come back to GeneCo! Forget about coming in tomorrow," Amber Sweet yelled in her shrill voice. Shilo, Luigi, and Pavi winced at the painful high-pitched voice. "Oh yeah, if that fucking murderer is inside that house, I want you guys to take her in. She killed enough Repo Men as it is."

"Sister! She couldn't have killed the Repo Men," Pavi defended her. Lina stared at him in surprise, but a worried expression soon replaced it.

"Well, too bad. I've got evidence of her standing near their dead bodies. Most of the pictures have her in it," Amber Sweet explained.

"What?!" Luigi and Pavi yelled. They both looked up at Lina in surprise.

"Come back here and I'll show you. And you better fucking come in today. If you don't, I'm going to force you to come back if I have to," Amber Sweet said one more time before ending the call.

Lina sighed and put her hands up in surrender.

"Might as well," Lina told them, giving another shock to Luigi, Pavi, and Shilo. Mia, on the other hand, seemed to understand and turned away.

"But bella can't possibly make the Pavi turn the bella in," Pavi answered, unwilling to do as his sister told him to do.

"I'm innocent," Lina told them, "And most of all, these GenCops are scaring the children and Shilo. I want to get this done and over with."

"But Lina!" Shilo yelled desperately.

Lina turned to Shilo and gave her a comforting smile though it did not work. It made Shilo even more worried.

"It'll be fine," Lina reassured her. Shilo shook her head and pulled at her sleeve, signaling for her to stay.

"Shilo, do as she says," Mia told Shilo, her back still facing Lina. Lina could only smile.

"But-" Shilo started but couldn't finish. How could trouble possibly get this far?

"You need to let her go," Mia said sternly, "You have to."

Shilo slowly let go of Lina's sleeve, but reluctance still shown on her face. Lina patted her shoulder. She then turned to look at Mia.

"Put down the defenses and turn it back on when we leave," Lina told her.

Mia nodded. She walked to the defense system and pressed on certain buttons until there was a voice inside the house.

"Defenses are down. Allowance for entering and leaving," the mechanical voice stated. Outside the house, they would not be able to hear the statement.

"Let's go," Lina said with a sigh. She turned around both to Shilo and Mia and smiled.

"Please come back safely," Shilo said though her voice squeaked in the end. Tears were starting to form in her eyes, but Lina patted her shoulder comfortingly once again.

"I'll be back before you know it," she said heartily. She turned to open the door. "Let's go, guys."

She walked confidently towards the GenCops and opened the gates. She was suddenly handcuffed, but she didn't seem to mind. It wasn't until they were about to do an inspection on her body that she did mind.

"Touch me in _that_ place, and I might break a nose," Lina threatened. It seemed that one of the GenCops seemed to think highly of himself as he spoke.

"Like you can do anything," one of the GenCops scoffed.

Luigi and Pavi came up and glared at the opposing GenCop.

"Shut your fucking mouth," Luigi told him. Instantly, the GenCop lowered his head in fear and stopped talking to him immediately.

"Pavi, search her. Better you than them," Luigi ordered. Lina was surprised how nice Luigi became, and Luigi was not aware of it. Even with his hostility towards her, he seemed to have changed. And in a way, she was as close of a friend he can ever get, and he knew that very well.

"Brother, you have changed. The Pavi is surprised, but the Pavi will accept most kindly to search the bella," Pavi said happily. Lina glared at him. Meanwhile, Luigi grunted at the comment about him changing.

"You'd better not do anything perverted," Lina told him. He did not answer and merely smiled.

Pavi searched her carefully and slowly. And when his hands went lower and lower, he took very special care to touch her in _that_ place. And of course, Lina's face turned red. And upon reflex, she kicked his stomach. Soon after, she was automatically attacked by the GenCops but she wouldn't go down with a fight. They then hit her back with a baton and made her fall down on the ground roughly. Pavi was shocked, not at her kicking him in the stomach (as it seemed he was used to her abuse), but how they roughly handled her. Pavi saw red, and he was furious.

"How dare you hurt my bella!" Pavi yelled angrily, his shrill voice scaring the GenCops.

"But sir, she kicked you. We only did it under your safety," the leader of the GenCops said. Bad move.

"You. Do. Not. Hurt. My. Bella," Pavi seethed in anger, pausing at every word for effect. He looked scary enough to kill. The GenCops kept quiet this time. They were confused and wondered why they were reprimanded for protecting him. And of course, they noticed he looked different. They noticed his clips were off, and he seemed more beautiful.

He suddenly heard Lina groan, and his anger turned into worry. He kneeled and helped Lina up.

"Man, that hurts," Lina said quietly. She spit the blood out in her mouth as if it was nothing.

"Are you okay, bella?" Pavi asked.

Lina shrugged and said, "I've been roughened up before. This is nothing."

"Hurry up and fucking search her," Luigi interfered. He was amazed at how angry Pavi got, and he seemed rather proud until he got all nice again.

"The Pavi just need to check your legs, bella," Pavi said assuringly this time. Lina rolled her eyes.

"I know that. Just don't be perverted," Lina told him as if what happened before never happened.

He smiled and giddily touched her thighs and legs and feet. He found nothing. It was then he realized something. Pavi stared at her questioningly. She noticed and gave him an odd look, but he didn't say anything. And not long after, he announced that he found nothing. They left right away in a big van.

He stared at Lina with great concentration. His realization still in his mind. And in a way, he felt a foreboding feeling in his stomach.

His realization?

Lina knew she was going to get caught, for Pavi was no fool. He knew she would always have a weapon on her, she said so. But when he searched her, he felt nothing. Not a trace of a weapon as if she knew she would get caught. She knew this would happen.


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N**: Whew, another update. And look, I've updated quickly again. Don't ask me how or why, but I just felt motivated. After doing my homework, I just had this rush to write this chapter. It was a pain on my backside, but I did it. Thank you to **MotherGothelFan1** (Thank you, and look I've updated again and still a little longer than usual) and **Emoen** (lol, I didn't know I made a cliffhanger. I guess it was unintentional and didn't realize it. So much drama is going on) for the reviews. Shucks, I was sure last chapter would get more reviews. Oh well. And once again, I made another lengthy chapter. I'm on a roll. Hopefully, this inspiration and motivation shall continue. Hope you all like it. And once again, I cannot stress this enough: the characters are OOC (out of character). Enjoy!

Chapter Nineteen

Pavi and Luigi sat on the couch before Amber Sweet, who sat at the desk where her father used to sit. She seemed quite professional, much like a business woman. She stared at her brothers with an intense gaze.

"As you both well know, our Repo Men are quickly diminishing. One-third of the Repo Men under us are dead. All thanks to this woman," She said, sliding Lina's photo in front of her. One of the hench woman took it up and handed the picture towards the Largo brothers. Pavi held it and saw a preoccupied Lina, not knowing she had been photographed.

"Sister, she couldn't have killed them," Pavi stated, determined that she is innocent.

"Really?" Amber Sweet said, looking skeptical, "Then what about these pictures?"

She threw the photos to the ground. Her brothers picked them up and stared at them with such intensity. There was disbelief on their faces. Some of the pictures have her hovering over the dead Repo Men and some have her kneeling next to their bodies. Luigi looked angry, yet there was something odd about the pictures like there was something missing that should be there but wasn't. Pavi was too shocked for words. He held so much evidence against Lina. He still couldn't believe it.

"She's Shilo's friend, isn't she? They must be up to something. I'm sure Shilo's trying to take my position away, and I won't have it," Amber Sweet whined.

"No matter what you think, Sister, Wallace has no power. She's just being used," Luigi told her. Amber Sweet stood up immediately, full of disbelief at her oldest brother.

"And how would you know that? You said you found nothing, but they played you like fools," she said to them, "What is wrong with you two? You guys have been acting weird when you came back. Don't tell me you guys became soft."

"We aren't going soft," Luigi yelled with seething anger, "We're just tired. If you didn't remember, we had to stay there for more than three months. We need to get adjusted."

Amber Sweet stared at her eldest brother, startled that he didn't curse in that entire sentence. Luigi glared at her with a scowl evident on his face. It was then she decided to look over at Pavi, who was still staring at the photo as if he was denying what was on it.

"What's wrong with Pavi?" Amber Sweet pointed her manicured nails towards Pavi.

"The Pavi needs to go see the bella," Pavi said, standing abruptly.

"What?" Luigi and Amber Sweet asked at the same time, startled at the seriousness in his eyes.

"The Pavi shall go see his bella," Pavi repeated and left without another word.

"Where did you get those pictures?" Luigi asked, looking at the door in which Pavi left.

Amber Sweet shrugged even though she knew Luigi wouldn't see it.

"I don't know. It was already on my desk when I came in. Nobody knows who put it there, not even my security," Amber Sweet answered. Luigi knew the security she was talking about were the henchwomen and the security cameras. He soon became deep in thought. A serious expression etched on his face as he tried to put the puzzle pieces together. Amber Sweet noticed her brother was thinking, but she had to speak up.

"Are both of you guys going bonkers after living with Shilo?" Amber Sweet asked, "Because it looks to me that you guys are."

Luigi scowled and glared at his sister.

"Does it fucking matter?" Luigi asked right before he turned around and left. Amber Sweet just stared in disbelief while her henchwomen stayed quiet and just watched like always.

"Well, that's new," Amber could only say. In all of her life, Luigi doesn't leave an argument behind until he wins. This is the first time he ever left an argument. Both of her brothers have changed.

Here he was, standing in front of her cell. Lina noticed his pained yet confused look as if he was betrayed. She stayed quiet and waited for him to speak. He lowered his head to the floor as if he found something interesting about it. They stayed silent like this for minutes until finally Pavi looked up at her once again.

"Did the bella kill those Repo Men?" Pavi asked, staring straight at her for answers. His knuckles were shivering and turning white from clenching it when he asked.

"If I say no, will you believe me? If I say someone had set me up, would you believe me?" She asked nonchalantly.

Pavi stared hard at her. There was no answer for several seconds until he finally nodded slowly.

"The Pavi believes in the bella," Pavi answered truthfully.

Lina chuckles and shakes her head.

"And what if I said I done it?" Lina asked, "What will you do then?"

Pavi frowned, still staring at her. His brows scrunched, making his expression sad.

"Then the Pavi believes the bella has not done it. And even if the bella does, the Pavi will do nothing to hurt the bella," Pavi told her, walking closer to the bars of her cell.

Her expression changed. She looked slightly shocked, but she had to turn away from his gaze. Her fingers twitched as if ready to move, but she wouldn't allow it. She couldn't allow her hand to touch the aching chest as he said those trusting words. She couldn't look weak in front of him. Not him.

"Leave, Pavi. They will interrogate me soon," Lina said simply.

"Interrogate?" Pavi asked, shocked.

"They want to make me confess. And obviously, I won't admit to anything. I'm sure you know the kinds of methods they will use on me, don't you?" She asked. Pavi froze and a look of horror was written on his face. "I don't want you to see me all bloodied up."

"They can't. The Pavi will not allow it," Pavi seethed in anger.

Lina sighed. She stood up and placed a hand on Pavi's cheek. Pavi closed his eyes the instant she touched him. He could feel the warmth of her hand. He laid his hand on top of hers that held his cheek. He rubbed his cheek against her hand.

"I've got a request, Pavi. To you and your brother," she whispered. Pavi stopped rubbing and slowly opened his eyes to look at her serious yet warm expression. When she noticed she had gotten his attention, she spoke up again. "I want you to protect them. Shilo, Mia, and the children. Protect them."

Pavi's eyes widened and pulled his face away from her hand, though his hand still laid on top of hers. He held it in a hold as fear gripped his entire being. Those words sounded too ominous.

"I've been set-up for a reason. Whoever it is, he or she is trying to get me away from Shilo preventing me from protecting her. I only have you and your brother to help me keep watch. You guys are my only hope other than my back up. I'm sure you know there is no evidence that says I'm innocent. I saw the pictures already, and it seems I won't be getting out any time soon," Lina explained.

Pavi's head lowered and shook his head.

"The Pavi will not allow them to harm the bella. They will not lay a single hand against you. If they do, the Pavi shall make them pay," Pavi said furiously. Lina gave him a small smile and shook her head.

"Pavi," she called out softly, "Do not worry about me. Make sure to keep them safe. Please."

Pavi stared at her, his hand shivering on his hold of her hand. His face got closer until he could feel her breath and the coldness from the bars of the cell on his lips. He kissed her, softly. Lina was rather surprised, but she reacted in return. The kiss then suddenly gotten more heated as nothing else mattered to them except themselves.

The kiss stopped when footsteps were heard. Lina pulled away, sadness etched on her face. She turned away and pulled her hand away from his touch. She couldn't do this. She couldn't get too close to him.

"Bella?" Pavi called out softly, shocked at her sudden action and expression.

"Tell me, Pavi. Do you love me?" She asked suddenly. Pavi was surprised yet he could not answer. When there was no answer for several seconds, she shook her head. She could feel the tears forming in her eyes. "Good. Don't love me. Don't ever love me."

Pavi stared. He could do nothing but just stare. He didn't notice the footsteps getting closer to them. He watched as Lina slowly stepped backwards, furthering herself away from him.

"What if I told you I will give you my body willingly, would you leave me?" Lina asked.

Pavi's eyes widened. He looked at her as if she had grew two heads. He could see the seriousness in her eyes. Before he could utter an answer, three GenCops greeted him.

"Greetings, Mr. Largo," all three said in unison. Pavi reflexively nodded at their greeting, not really paying attention to them. Most of his attention was directed at Lina, who was also doing the same.

"Sorry, sir, but we must get this woman interrogated. Miss Amber Sweet ordered us to do so," said one of the GenCops.

When the word 'interrogation' hit Pavi's ears, he stared at them cruelly.

"My sister may have ordered to interrogate her, but none of you shall harm my bella. Understood?" Pavi said with much authority. The GenCops were pretty surprised. They didn't know what to do but look amongst each other and then finally one brave GenCop spoke up.

"But sir, Miss Sweet ordered us to use any means necessary to get her to admit these killings," said the brave GenCop.

"Then the Pavi shall speak to his sister. Until then, no harm shall be done onto my bella," Pavi ordered.

The three GenCops looked at each other once again as if debating until all three finally nodded. Pavi smiled in triumph. He turned to his attention back to Lina once again, but she looked at Pavi sadly. Before she could speak, Pavi spoke first. He wouldn't allow to her speak anymore. He didn't want to hear what she would say next, fearing she may say something he would not be able to bear.

"The Pavi shall go for now, but the Pavi shall be back," Pavi told her. Before Lina could respond, he left quickly. Pavi's chest felt so tight. It was painstakingly tight as if someone was squeezing it. Thankfully, the pain slowly eased away as he walked.

Meanwhile, Shilo paced around the living room with worry. They had no news about Lina after she had been taken two hours ago. The worry only increased when she kept imagining the tortures Lina would go through by the hands of those puppets called GenCops. She couldn't help torturing herself this way since she knew those GenCops were working under GeneCo. She wondered if Amber Sweet was as much as a tyrant as Rotti Largo. If so, she would be scared for her friend's life.

Mia, on the other hand, just stared at nothing. Shilo didn't know what was going on inside her mind. Usually, she would understand a little about what Mia is thinking, but Mia did not give any hints. It was as if Mia was trying to hide her thoughts. As if, she was planning something inside her head and wouldn't want Shilo to know.

Shilo wasn't much for secrets. The first seventeen years of her life was an example of that. But even so, she believed some secrets are meant to be kept since she herself understood it couldn't be helped because she also kept her secret of her father being a Repo Man from her children. Some day, though, she hoped to reveal it to them and hope they do not hate her for it. After all, most of these children's family were killed off by Repo Men.

When Lina left, there was a state of disorder. Fear and worry gripped the children just as it did to Shilo. But since Shilo was the adult, she had to be strong for them and comfort them. Shilo felt protective. Her maternal instincts kicking in. A thought increased double fold as she imagined the future without Lina. Who would kick people's asses when the children were harmed? Suddenly, she had a flashback of a time Lina did just that.

_Shilo and Emma were on their way to Lina's van after they finished shopping. They decided to buy groceries for themselves at their apartment they shared with Lina and was way before Shilo met all the other children, way before she went back to living in her father's house, and Emma was still healing from losing her parents though Emma seemed to respond better at this time. Emma still had issues with strangers, though she was fine with Shilo, Mia, and Lina. It took a long while for Emma to accept Lina. And by that time, Mia had already been accepted by her. _

_Shilo and Lina were chatting happily about some things through their wrist communicator. Lina was on the way to pick them up because she had a small errand she had to do while they shopped. Emma listened quietly while she looked around warily, careful not to touch any strangers while she gripped onto Shilo's dress for support. But of course, the more one tries to avoid something, the more likely one would not be able to avoid any longer. And in the end, Emma accidentally bumped into a tall yet well-built figure. Emma's eyes widened and she apologized nervously._

_The figure only scowled and yelled at the girl. Emma started whimpering and shivering in fear. Tears already falling from her eyes. Shilo's eyes widened and held the girl carefully, comforting her. She looked up at the male with animosity etched on her face._

_"She apologized. Stop trying to scare her," Shilo told him. The male scoffed and waved his hand._

_"It's her own fault. One apology isn't enough. I want compensation," The male said angrily._

_"And why should we?" Shilo asked, "If you wanted to, you could have avoided her unless you didn't pay attention either. So why should we compensate you when you were equally at fault?"_

_"What?" The man yelled, "Are you saying it's my fault?"_

_His yells made Emma more scared and she started hyperventilating. Shilo got worried, and she could only say soothing words while stroking her hair to comfort her. Meanwhile, the man continued to yell at them for ignoring him. Shilo couldn't allow Emma to go through the pain again, so she had to change her tactic._

_"Stop yelling. Can't you see she's afraid?" Shilo pleaded._

_The man rolled his eyes. And with a swift move, he pulled on Emma's hair. Emma screamed in agony. The people around them heard her, but they chose to ignore it and continued on with their daily lives. Shilo's eyes widened and her maternal instincts kicked in. She tried beating against the guy for him to let her go. But back then, Shilo couldn't do that much damage. The most damage she did on him was to scratch him. And of course, the man finally let go of Emma's hair and gripped his wrist where Shilo scratched him instead. _

_"Why you freaking whore?" The man yelled. She slapped Shilo but she merely glared at him._

_When Shilo heard Emma's whimpering and noticed her shivering form, Shilo didn't care about being slapped and went back to hug the girl and comfort her with soothing words while she tried to ease the pain by stroking her head gently._

_"You freak! You're going to pay!" The man yelled, ready to strike them with his fist. Shilo with her eyes wide shielded Emma's body while closing her eyes, waiting for the blow to come to her. When she received none, she looked up to see a smiling Lina holding onto the guy with a chokehold._

_"What's going on?" Lina asked, seemingly able to stop the guy with ease though he was bigger than her. The guy was trying his best to struggle and even tried to scratch at the arm she held him though Lina didn't seem to feel it. She still gripped him._

_Shilo gulped and let out a sigh of relief to see her friend. When she saw her friend staring at her for answers, Shilo spoke up._

_"Emma and he bumped into each other. He said it was Emma's fault and he wanted compensation. I told him some things, and he got angry. He suddenly pulled on Emma's hair, and I tried to get him off her..." Shilo explained but was cut off._

_"Wait. He pulled on Emma's hair?" Lina asked, anger evident on her face. Shilo gulped and nodded quietly. Shilo knew that look. It meant Lina was ready to beat someone. "Since he wants compensation, I'll give it to him. Can you two walk to the van safely?"_

_Shilo stared for a moment and nodded. She noticed how the guy's vein started popping out, and his face turning red. He was gasping for air and his struggling slowed down._

_"Then go, I'll take good care of him," Lina told them with a smile. She cracked both of her knuckles while still having the guy into a chokehold._

_Shilo immediately helped Emma up, and they both walked slowly away. When she was far enough, she could hear a shriek of pain. Shilo took a glimpse and saw Lina kicking him. She gulped once again and continued their way to Lina's van without a problem._

_When they were home and Shilo finally getting Emma to calm down and sleep, Shilo finally had the courage to ask Lina about the guy. Lina merely smiled and shrugged._

_"He got compensated. I gave him what he deserved," Lina said simply. She then looked at the many scratches and the imprint of the man's nails on her arm._

_"Seriously, he scratches like a girl," Lina joked with a hearty chuckle afterwards._

Shilo couldn't help but giggle at the memory. Before she realized it, she saw Mia staring at her strangely. Shilo cleared her throat nervously. She knew now wasn't the time to think of fond memories.

"Do you want to visit Lina?" Mia suddenly asked. Shilo stared at her with widened eyes, but she mentally shook out the shock inside of her. Shilo mutely nodded in agreement and Mia nodded back. "Then I shall find a way then."

Pavi stood in front of his sister. There was no silly Pavi looking at his reflection in awe from his hand mirror. Instead, stood a man wanting to protect the woman he loved. Amber Sweet was surprised at her brother's maturity. It was then she noticed her brother's face. He looked beautiful and natural. The clips were gone, and there were no evidence of his injured face. He looked like the beautiful Pavi he once was before the incident that happened to scar his whole face. And for some reason, Amber felt jealous.

"Sister, the Pavi requests that you do not allow the GenCops to use any interrogation to harm the bella," he told her. Amber Sweet looked at him with confusion at first, wondering who he meant until it finally clicked into her mind. Amber Sweet's lips turned into a thin line.

"Sorry, brother, I can't do that. She did the crime, and she deserves the punishment," Amber Sweet told her brother nonchalantly.

"But she hasn't done anything! She's innocent," Pavi argued. Once again, Amber Sweet was surprised at her brother's actions but then her expression changed into that of disgust.

"Don't tell me you like her?" Amber Sweet asked. "She's not even the type you like. Look at her. She's... she's totally under your league."

Pavi completely ignored her question and comments. All he wanted was for Lina to be safe. He could do that much for her since he is the Pavi, and nobody could deny the Pavi.

"Sister, please," Pavi pleaded, "Do not harm the bella."

Amber Sweet sighed and shook her head.

"Sorry, brother, but I can't allow that. You saw the pictures yourself. We can't allow people who are against us to live," Amber Sweet said. Pavi scrunched his brows in anger.

"She is innocent! These photos may not actually be what sister think it is. She may be violent. She may be hard-headed and have a temper, but she is sweet and loving. She may make the Pavi sad and angry at times, but she makes the Pavi happy and loved. When she says she's innocent, the Pavi believes her wholeheartedly," Pavi said without backing down.

Amber Sweet's eyes widened at the sudden confession of his devotion to the woman. This automatically pissed her off. She couldn't believe her ears. Her own brother backing their enemy. And if he backed up the enemy, then it means her brother is against her. Against GeneCo.

"Brother, I will not change my mind," Amber Sweet said seething with anger. Suddenly, she snapped her fingers and the henchwomen took Pavi by his arms. "Take him to his room. He shall be kept under watch. Do not let him visit Lina Masters until I allow him to do so."

The henchwomen silently nodded and started dragging her brother to the elevator.

"Sister! Sister you can't! Don't harm the bella! Please!" Pavi begged, struggling against the henchwomen. The henchwomen did not relent. He continued to plead even when the elevator was closed.

When she did not hear his voice any longer, she sighed. She massaged her temples and shook her head. She cursed under her breath. She didn't realize how close her brothers are to their enemies. Well, Luigi didn't seem to really care.

Suddenly, a voice startled her out of her deep thoughts.

"What now? Are you against it too?" Amber Sweet scowled at her eldest brother, standing there with crossed arms.

"Nah, she needs a beating for a bit. That would be my revenge for what she did to me," Luigi said coolly.

Amber Sweet's brow was raised in question. He completely ignored it and sat down.

"I don't think she did the crime though," Luigi said, shrugging his shoulders.

Amber Sweet glared at him.

"You too? What the fuck is wrong with you guys?" Amber Sweet asked. "Answer me!"

Luigi stood up again and started to make his way to the elevator. When he was there, he pressed the elevator button. There was a pause until Luigi finally spoke again when the elevator opened.

"Love," he simply stated. Amber Sweet gawked at him, not believing her ears. But of course, Luigi couldn't see it, but he did feel it. "Yeah, we fucking found love. But not me. Not anymore. I was fucking lied to."

He then entered the elevator. His face now showing his usual scowling expression.

"Well, I'm busy. I've got to plan for my revenge towards the woman who tricked me," he said before he pressed the button and disappeared from his sister's sight. She was still staring in belief.

"What the fuck!" Amber Sweet yelled.


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N**: Okay. Here is another chapter. I had to tweak this chapter up a bit because I added an OC. Her name is Animal, and she belongs to **repogirl1**. I have to say that I only used an OC for my story from another person once, and I found I did not do her character justice. So now, I'm going to try it again for a different user and never ever do it again (maybe). Thank you to **Emoen **(lol, I gave you a pm so it should answer most of your questions. Yeah, the guys and girls seemed to be hurt very bad emotionally) and **CrystalionTears** (no problem. I guess I've been updating too quickly that you missed it. lol) for the reviews. Now, question time! Which child couple do you like? Jake and Ryan isn't in much, so they wouldn't be part of the coupling. So, it's NatexEmma, EmmaxTom, HeroxAmy, or one of your choice (Jake and Ryan can be included as well as Animal). Enjoy. ^-^. Reviews would be appreciated please.

Chapter Twenty

Pavi felt frustrated. He was locked up inside his room for two days. He was supposed to protect the one he loved, but he failed to do so. He could feel the tears forming in his eyes, imagining the painful tortures she would be going through. He knew the kind of tortures awaiting her because he had watch plenty of times when it happened to other people who went against the Largo family. He even felt delighted to hear the screams of them being tortured. But now, he hated it. To imagine Lina going through the same thing, he couldn't feel excited about it. And he wondered, was this the so-called karma?

He pounded his fists against his door to be let out for the nth time. His pleas once again had been ignored. Once in a while, a Gentern would come by to see how he was doing. He once tried to take this chance to escape the first time, but he was caught by two big buff men at the entrance. He knew straight away he couldn't escape anymore.

He sat on his bed, feeling useless. When he looked straight ahead, he took this chance to look around his large, fancy room. He once missed this place after he was forced to sleep on the hard couch in the Wallace's house. But now, he missed the small (though large to some others) house and the hard couch. He missed the lively sounds in that house he had once wished to be that of parties he was accustomed to. He missed Lina's warm milk and massages. He missed her scent when he gets close to her. He missed when Lina, Nate, and he were together as if Nate was their child while they were pretending to be parents. Well, not so much of being a parent. He was terrible at it, and he admits to that. But in truth, he wouldn't mind if it was with her.

He could imagine his family. He would be the kind and loving father while she would be the strict and no-nonsense mother. Their child would have most of his looks while having his wife's strength. Their child would have both of their personalities, and he or she would be loved by all because of it. But if he were to have a child, he hoped to have a girl for he could be his little princess. He would see Lina in her, and he would love her with all of his heart just as much as he loved his soon-to-be future.

His musings were soon interrupted by the slamming of the door being opened. He was startled at the noise at first but saw his brother staring down at him. Pavi looked rather confused. Luigi scoffed at his look. He made his way to his brother though the door was soon closed behind him. All thanks to the bodyguards at the entrance. Luigi turned and looked at the door in disgust, not at the door itself but the two men who did their jobs.

"Did you fucking hear?" Luigi asked. Pavi's brow quirked up in confusion.

"Brother should know that the Pavi has been ordered to be locked in the room. The Pavi has heard nothing," he told him. Luigi huffed angrily.

"Shilo Wallace will be working in the research and development for GenStein, meaning we would have plenty of visits from her," he told him.

"And why is that bad?" Pavi asked, "I'm sure Shilo would be plenty of help."

"You idiot! She took the offer to have a chance to visit the violent woman. But the fucking thing is, she would be under suspicion of trying to get her way through GeneCo for the sake of the rebels. This could go against the violent woman's innocence. I don't know what the fuck she were thinking, but she clearly didn't think this through," Luigi explained clearly. Pavi's eyes widened in surprise, but his eyes suddenly sparked.

"But brother! This may have the opposite effect. Think about it. If she were to accept the job knowing she would be working with GeneCo, her suspicion of being part of the rebel would make it untrue," Pavi started but Luigi had interfered from him explaining any further.

"What the fuck are you talking about? That makes no sense," Luigi said. Pavi chuckled and continued on.

"Think brother. She is trying to make her allegiance to GeneCo by taking the offer to work for GeneStein. Due to this, she shall have to be under watch at all times. She knew this will happen and accept those facts. The more she is suspected of being a rebel, the more she will not be. And in doing so, sister will finally realize she is not part of the rebels, and she will finally understand those pictures of my bella were a mistake," Pavi explained. Luigi stared hard at his brother.

"The fuck is wrong with your brain. How would that make any sense? Unless-" Luigi's eyes widened and his mouth gaped. "Oh, I see. I get it now. Sister is going to have a mind fuck, huh? Good, she fucking deserves it."

"It took brother a while to figure it out, huh?" Pavi laughs, but Luigi scowls in reply.

"Because I'm still a little fucking sane," Luigi answered, "Must've been that fucking woman's idea?"

Pavi looked over at his brother and asked, "Who?"

"You know who. That fucking Mia Silver, that's who," Luigi spat angrily. At first, Pavi was surprised but was then replaced by a look of his confusion at his brother's animosity towards his lover.

"Brother, what has happened to make you so spiteful towards her?" Pavi asked with worry.

In his fit of rage, Luigi kicked the small trash can.

"She tricked me," Luigi spat. Pavi looked at him confused.

"Tricked how?" Pavi asked.

"It's none of your fucking business," he yelled before stomping to the door but he suddenly stopped. He turned around and growled. "If you want to know about that violent woman of yours, she's not that injured. She just got some busted lip, a few bruises on her face, and the most damage she had would be her hands. Those fuckers kept pounding a hammer on her hands. I called in a doctor for her, so her hands are as good as new. And also, you owe me. I killed those fuckers for you."

Pavi's eyes widened in disbelief and his mouth gaped open, ready for flies to zoom inside. Luigi scowled once more at his brother's expression and left. But just as he left, he smirked. His fraternal instincts seemed to work at the weirdest of times, and he admits to that quietly in his mind.

Graverobber sat quietly at his usual dumpster. He had found out Lina was caught by GeneCops, and Shilo took a promotion working for GeneStein. His whole body tensed at the whole thing he had missed. His gut feeling told him things were going to get worse. The moment GeneStein entered the picture, Graverobber couldn't help but feel sick to his stomach. Trent de Luca and the Largo brothers working as partners. Graverobber still felt wary of de Luca. Something about him did not stir right with Graverobber, especially those dark eyes.

As if he had enough thinking, he decided to hop off his dumpster and took a stroll. Yesterday, Graverobber had enough vials of Zydrate to last him for a week. There had been plenty of bodies that kept piling up recently. He had a feeling it had something to do with the rebellion. Graverobber didn't seem to mind since he had nothing do with most of them.

But suddenly, he stood stock still from an unexpected and disturbing image flashing in his mind. He felt his body run cold, and his face paled of all color. The image inside of his mind was that of Shilo bleeding in a hallway, all alone and helpless. Her eyes opened in fear and her mouth opened agape as if she was killed by a traitor. And then, she went limp. Her eyes still open yet the light in her eyes had gone.

Graverobber shook away that ominous image, but he couldn't shake off the feeling of the gripping fear that held him. He had to admit, it felt like his heart was getting pricked by needles. But most importantly, he was afraid of the image actually happening.

In deep thought, he did not notice a little girl standing in front of him with a bloodied knife in hand and blood splattered all over her that seemed not to be hers. She had such deep cold and cruel eyes staring at him. And once again, he did not notice until he bumped into her and fell back. The girl, though, did not fall back like he did. She stood there, still as a tree.

He groaned and rubbed his hurt butt. He looked up and his eyes widened at the creepy little girl in front of him. She seemed similar in age with Nate and Hero. It was then his eyes slowly looked from her arm to the knife she was holding. He winced when he saw the blood dripping off the knife. He gulped quietly and nervously smiled.

"Are you scared?" The little girl asked in a cold-like manner like Mia's.

He gulped once more and chuckled nervously.

"Sorry for bumping into you?" Graverobber apologized innocently as if he was found out stealing a cookie from her cookie jar.

She glared at him, and he gulped once more. Suddenly, she dropped her knife and showed her hand to him. He looked at it for a moment then at her. Slowly, he took her hand and he got up from the ground. Instantly, he smiled like his usual self and was no longer scared of the girl.

"Thanks," he told her. The girl gave a curt nod. In a way, she reminded him a whole lot like Mia. The coldness in her eyes and the rare emotion in her.

"What's your name?" He asked. The girl glared at him warily. He gulped and put his hand up in surrender. "Okay, you don't need to tell me."

"Name is Animal," she answered simply and uncaringly. Graverobber gaped and looked at her questioningly. He wondered why on Earth her parents would name her Animal, but shut his mouth immediately when she stared at him with a blank expression.

The girl just shrugged and picked up her knife back and put it back into its case of her black utility belt. Graverobber noticed and the weapon standing out the most would be a gun on the left side of her utility belt. He cringed to find out a little girl like her would be carrying dangerous weapons on her.

"Do you know where the Wallace residence is?" She asked.

Graverobber stilled and mentally cursed in his head.


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N**: I stayed up late to make this chapter. Yay, I finally finished another one. I'm thinking of updating once a week, but I'm not sure. **Warning!** There are some adult themes but not too suggestive in this chapter, so beware. If you do not want to read that part, then please skip the italics. Thanks to **repogirl1 **(I'm glad you like the way I made Animal so far. ^-^), **CrystalionTears** (Thank you. And yeah, I might post one chapter per week if I feel like it. lol), and **Emoen** (Amy and Hero are my favorite child couple so far. I actually like Emma and Nate, but it may just be me since I did make them. lol. Thank you for being the only other one to answer my question. ^-^) for the reviews. Here is the chapter! Enjoy! There is a Luigi and Lina moment (not romantic of course). This part is before Luigi visits Pavi if you are confused. Also, Animal is questioned by Mia and meets most of the children. Oh, an enemy everyone knows appears at the end. It isn't what you think.

Chapter Twenty-One

Lina lay on the bed, looking up at the dirty ceiling. She was bruised on one side of her cheek and she had a busted lip. There seemed to be a rope burn though it seemed flat and bigger than a rope like some sort of collar. She could remember they strapped her on a table and even her neck was strapped to immobilize her movement.

_When she resisted in confessing of the deaths of the Repo Men, they started to pound a blunt, heavy, and hard object on her hands. She resisted the urge from screaming in pain. She bit her lip to contain the pain. Blood formed from her lip. _

_The GenCops seemed to enjoy her pain when they punished her. When she fainted, they would slap her cheek to wake her. And when it did not work, they poured ice cold water on her. Lina could remember their smiles very much and the chuckles as they spoke lowly of her. _

_It was then they started the tortures again, but it was to hurt her mentally. They pulled up her shirt, showing the many physical scars she had gone throughout her life. A large scar was sighted that went diagonally from her left shoulder and stopped to the right edge just before her waistline. Right after, they took off her clothes until she laid completely naked. _

_They taunted her while they poked and prodded her in places they shouldn't with their tonfas and fingers. And obviously, she would resist and spouted curses at them. They laughed at her, but she would not relent. She did not give up. But things started to get too far, the GenCops were ready to have some more fun as they took off particular articles of their own clothing. Just as they had done so, relief erupted inside Lina when she heard the GenCops yelled out Luigi's name when the door opened with a slam. She could hear Luigi's growl. And in clear sight, she watched as Luigi sliced each of the GenCop's necks. He then turned to her and gave a disgusted look not at her but the things they did to her. He immediately took off the straps that binded her to the table. Lina immediately sat up and put on her clothes. She turned away from Luigi when he stared at her._

_"Don't tell him," she told him, "Just tell him I have minor injuries."_

_He growled and stated, "Like I care." _

_He then left soon afterwards. But before he left out of her sight, he told the guards to clean up the mess he made and to take her back into the cell. He also told her a good doctor of his will fix the damage done on her hands. She stared at Luigi in surprise and smiled sadly. After that, he continued his way and disappeared into the hall. _

And now, it was two days later after the interrogation happened. She shielded her eyes with her arm and suddenly chuckled but stopped immediately afterwards. She stayed quiet and still for a little while until she finally decided to sit up. She growled and punched the wall in anger. Her knuckles reddened.

"I'm not getting you a fucking doctor if you hurt your fucking hand," said Luigi. Lina was a little startled to see him standing there, wondering why she didn't notice him earlier.

"Like I care," Lina said with a defeated look. She turned away and gazed up at the wall in front of her.

"What the fuck is wrong with you being depressed and stuff?" Luigi yelled. Lina winced at his loud and booming voice, but she had no energy to argue with him. She closed her eyes and laid back on her bed.

"What are you doing here anyways?" She asked. Her eyes still closed and waited for his answer.

"Pavi annoyed me to check up on you," Luigi said truthfully. Lina stilled for a moment but nodded in the end.

"And what about you and Mia?" Lina asked. Luigi paused and he snarled in disgust.

"Don't say her name in front of me," he yelled. Lina opened her eyes and stared at him.

"So she finally ended it with you, huh?" She knew full well of the answer and had a gist of the reason Mia did what she did.

"What the fuck do you know about it?" Luigi asked. He was angry yet he felt he need answers. There was something about their break up that did not sit well with Luigi.

"Nothing," she paused, "Nothing at all."

"Don't fuck with me!" He yelled, trying the shake the bars of the cell.

"Whatever you planning, don't do it. You'll regret it and you will hurt yourself even more," Lina told him. Luigi stopped and looked at the woman before him with confusion written across his face.

"What the-" Luigi was cut off by Lina.

"Mia is sly, but she doesn't allow others to be close to her unless she wants them too. And if she tries to distance herself from someone she cares about, she does it in a way for that person to be hurt enough for them to be angry against her," Lina explained, "She's just as hurt as you are."

Lina stared but growled in contempt.

"You're just saying that so your precious friend wouldn't get hurt. Fuck you. Fuck her," he yelled.

Lina shrugged, got up, and walked up to him.

"Haven't you already? Well, not me but you must have done it a lot with Mia though, right," Lina said mischievously with a smirk spreading across her lips. Luigi's eyes widened for a moment but turned away embarrassed. Lina chuckled and poked his back. He turned around and stared at her.

"What?" He yelled.

"Some things are not what it seems, loud mouth. Be careful," Lina warned before she went back to her bed and started to take a nap. Luigi stared for a minute, but he knew it was time for him to leave to see Pavi and tell him Shilo had taken the job for GeneStein. He turned and left.

When Lina no longer heard his footsteps, she got off the bed and stared down the hallway Luigi walked down. She shook her head and sigh. A little note suddenly fell from her pocket. She picked up and opened the folded paper. She frowned and shook her head. She folded it back again and crushed it in her hand. Her clenched fist shivered. She put the note back in her pocket. She let out another breath and sat on her bed in thought. The only words written on the note was quite simple.

_It's time._

Shilo stared wide-eyed when she saw Graverobber at the gate with a little girl. She told Mia to put down the barrier, and she did so. She hurriedly went out of the house and opened the gate for them. They both entered. Graverobber and Shilo made eye contact for a moment. Many emotions erupted inside both of them, where they wanted to tell the other but couldn't. Sadly, Graverobber turned away first. Shilo frowned but didn't allow it to get to her. She started making her way into the house. They followed Shilo into the house, and Mia put up the barrier once again. Animal looked around the house carefully and observed Shilo quietly but stopped when she stared at Mia. Mia stared back at Animal. Both looked as if they were having a stare down. Shilo and Graverobber watched them for a bit before they looked at each other for answers. And of course, they had no answers.

"Who is she?" Shilo asked.

"Her name is Animal. She wanted me to show her where your house is," Graverobber answered. Shilo quirked an eyebrow at him.

"Her name is Animal?" Shilo looked at him doubtfully but Graverobber confirmed it with a nod. She was shocked and wondered what her parents were thinking to give her an unusual name. "Why would she want to come here?" Shilo questioned. Graverobber shrugged, not knowing the answer either.

"I am here because I want to learn to be a normal child. I want to learn how to live like a normal person," Animal answered coolly.

"I see," Mia answered, "What do you mean by living a normal life?"

Animal paused for a moment but answered carefully.

"I used to be a Grade A assassin until I was betrayed by my own comrades. Because of envy, my own comrades tried to kill me. I had no choice but to kill them before they killed me. But in the end, I've become branded as a rogue assassin. I had no choice to live my life as such," Animal explained. There was no emotion in her voice or expression. Shilo could see the similarity in Hero and her, but they were so different from Lina, who expressed herself fully.

"Why do you want a normal life then?" Mia continued to question.

"Because I no longer want to kill. I want to live a normal life," Animal answered simply. Shilo looked at her sympathetically, but Animal would have none of it. "Do not look at me that way, Miss Wallace. I do not need sympathy. It makes me feel weak."

Shilo sighed and nodded. She did the same to Hero, but he disliked it. She remembered how Hero looked when he seemed to distance himself after Lina left. She tried her best to make him feel comfortable, but he only glared at her in return and wrote to her that he did not want sympathy from her. Thankfully, though, Amy and Nate were the only ones he would open up to.

"How did you know about this place?" Mia continued to ask.

"I have heard an ex-assassin is temporarily living here. I wanted her to teach me how to live a normal life."

Shilo and Mia looked at each other for a moment before they stared at Animal again. Animal looked them right in the eyes as if seeking answers through their expressions. She frowned as if she understood Lina was not here.

"So she is not here?" Animal asked. Shilo was surprised at how she figured it out and looked at Mia.

"She's a Grade A assassin after all, Shilo. The slightest expression, no matter how small, could give her an answer to a question she needs," Mia explained to her without a need for Shilo to ask. Shilo nodded mutely.

"Sorry, Animal. She is under investigation by the GenCops," Shilo told her.

Animal crossed her arms and nodded.

"Then would you like me to help her escape? GenCops are much easier to handle than Repo Men," Animal said.

Shilo was startled at her statement and vigorously shook her head. Mia seemed unhappy at the thought. Graverobber seemed interested and at awe.

"You are not allowed to do such an action. Your life would be on the line, and Lina would not like for a child to be in potential harm because of her," Shilo lectured. Her words becoming motherly. Graverobber couldn't help but find this part of her rather amusing and quite sexy. Soon, he had dirty thoughts going through his head.

Animal nodded, not saying anything further, but she stared over at Graverobber staring at Shilo. He held a weird look, making Animal wonder what that expression meant. He looked rather perverted in a way in Animal's eyes.

Mia cleared her throat, so she could get everyone's attention on her. Mia knew Animal was observing and wondering about Graverobber's expression, and Graverobber was starting to have perverted thoughts towards Shilo. She, of course, needed to stop him from giving Animal any clues to his thoughts than he already was. But in the end, it was too late.

"Are you thinking of ravaging her body?" Animal asked to Graverobber while pointing at Shilo. Shilo's eyes widened in the most comical way and her mouth was gaped open. Graverobber was startled at how Animal knew his thoughts and chuckled nervously. Mia just sighed and shook her head.

"Come with me, Animal. I will take you to see the rest of the children that live here," Mia stated. Animal merely nodded, not caring at all the question she had just asked though it presented some difficulty for Graverobber and Shilo.

Mia lead her to the children's room, and she followed behind. When they made their way inside, Animal found herself being stared at by the other children. Animal almost winced at the sight of some of the children younger than her. In a way, she was slightly uncomfortable but she did not outwardly show it.

"Children meet Animal. She shall temporarily live here until Shilo and I sort things out before we can determine whether she will live with us permanently," Mia told the children. Mia then looked over at Animal. "Why don't you greet yourself to the children? Take your time to meet and greet them. I must speak with Shilo about your stay."

Animal nodded. When Mia gave her a curt nod and left, Animal stared at them. Usually, the first person to greet newcomers would be Emma, but Animal beat her to it. She was rather the kind to follow orders.

"Name is Animal. I am a rogue assassin, but I wish to live a normal life. Pleased to meet you," Animal introduced herself. Emma giggled from it since this was the first time she had ever seen anyone present himself or herself in that way before.

"Nice to meet you, Animal. I am Emma. I like romance novels and make friends. I hope we can be good friends," Emma said, holding out her hand. Animal stared at it for a bit before shaking her hand gently.

"I find romance novels unnecessary, and I do not want to make friends. I find it troubling," Animal confessed truthfully. Emma stared at her for a bit and nodded with a smile.

"Oh, so you are like Hero then," Emma said giddily. Animal almost winced at Emma's glowing positive attitude. Usually, other people find it offensive, but Emma seemed too happy in Animal's view. She was sure Emma had gotten through some sort of ordeal for her to be this positive. After that, Animal decided to ignore her and started to meet the other children.

She took notice of Nate and went over to him. She stared at him seriously, making Nate a little jumpy. He felt the awkward part of him creeping inside him. The new girl scared him a bit, but he wasn't going to admit to it.

"Scared? Do not be. I only hurt those who I find dangerous. Name is Animal," Animal asked. Nate stared at her with widened eyes, and he could only clear his throat to lessen his nervousness.

"I...uh... am Nate. P-please to meet y-you," Nate greeted, holding out his hand to her but his hand was shivering from nervousness. He mentally scolded himself for acting this way.

Animal stared at his hand, noticing him shiver. She then looked directly into his eyes, making Nate uncomfortable. Those dark orbs looking directly into his eyes was something he could not handle, so he looked downwards as if he was interested in her knee-length boots. Animal was still expressionless. She took his hand and shaked it anyways to calm him, but he shuddered from it. Animal finally decided Nate was a coward and went to the next person.

Jake and Ryan greeted her normally like they should and she continued towards Arielle. She also was as nervous as Nate but more so. She was shaking terribly, and she couldn't speak. Animal understood and left her alone after Arielle stuttered her name. Arielle was actually relieved and continued on writing in some sort of small brown book like a diary or journal of some sort. It was then Amy's turn.

"Name is Animal. Nice to meet you," she said curtly. Amy shyly nodded and showed her hand. Animal took it and shook it.

"I am Amy," Amy greeted shyly. When Animal let go, Amy hid behind Hero with a blush running across her cheeks. Hero didn't seem to mind when Amy wrapped her hands around his waist from his back.

Hero then scribbled into his pad and showed it to her.

"My name is Hero. I also used to be an assassin. I cannot talk, so I will communicate with you by writing," Hero wrote. Animal nodded.

She showed her hand and Hero took it. It was a firm shake unlike the others. It was then Hero and Animal started squeezing each other's hand as if to show off their strength. Emma noticed, so she spoke up for it to lead into a tie.

"There are also triplets, but they are still babies. Auntie Mia watches them," Emma said, making Animal's and Hero's grip loosen from their loss of concentration. They both seized in their battle, but they seemed to acknowledge each other after their competition.

Nate saw their little contest of strength and wondered about it. He decided not to ask the assassins for he was not very curious about it. He looked to the ground and saw a pencil next to him, so he thought about picking it up. He didn't want any accidents to happen like what happened to Graverobber and Shilo. Nate couldn't help but smile at the thought. After the little flashback to that moment, he suddenly felt eyes on him. He slowly looked up to see Animal staring straight at him. He gaped for a moment but found himself feeling uncomfortable again.

He had completely forgotten about the pencil close to him and wanted to get away from Animal's stare. Just as he took a nervous step onto the pencil, he slipped and fell on top of Amy, who was already near Nate to ask him about her crayons. Nate winced at the pain, but the person with the biggest blow was Amy being crushed by his weight. Nate immediately got up and apologized to Amy, but she didn't seem angry at all. She seemed a little hurt from being crushed though.

Hero immediately went to Amy's side when he heard her yelp and helped her up, looking closely at Amy for any injuries. When he saw none, he hugged her but he glared at Nate as he did so. Nate gulped and mentally scolded the pencil since it was its fault for him to be in that incident. He couldn't take Hero's death glare and saw Animal glaring at him as well. He closed his eyes and let out a defeated sigh.

Those blasted pencils are truly weapons in disguise.


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N**: Finally! In this chapter, it speaks mostly about Tom's past. Afterwards, it goes to Pavi and Lina. I'm actually highlighting them most often due to future events. Oh yeah, check out **repogirl1**'s story, "Hidden Emotions". It's her first story on fanfiction. Usually, I don't advertise on fanfiction, but I'm making an exception since this is her first time. Thank you to **Flipped-Out-Soldier** (Well, can't blame them for glaring at Nate. Hero has a bond with Amy. Since he squished her, he had to get an evil eye from Hero. lol. As for Animal, to see a little girl getting squished by someone bigger than her kind of sets off a mood. lol. Oh yeah, I love your image icon. Is that Happy Tree Friends in human anime form? lol. And yes, pencils are evil if used the wrong way. lol) and **Emoen** (Yes, I had to trick the readers once in a while. It's no fun if it's something you expected. lol) for the reviews. Though this chapter is kind of boring, please enjoy! Reviews are appreciated. ^-^

Chapter Twenty-Two

Tom disliked the new girl. He purposely ignored her when she tried to introduce herself to him. Animal seemed to understand and left him alone. Emma, on the other hand, was unhappy with him. She lectured him not to be cold towards her for being new. And of course, he ignored it and continued on doing what he wanted to do.

Tom had trust issues ever since he was young. His father and mother would always argue with each other, and there are times where abuse is involved by the both of them. The only things the two parents have in common are the poor background and that they are alcoholics. He was abused as well, but the father will do the physical abuse as a way to "man" him up. His mother, on the other hand, talked down to him as if he was dirt. But even with such treatment, he stayed not because he loved them but he had no place to go. He found out how scary it is out there at a very early age of six, and he knew very well he would not be able survive the world out there.

_Then the Repo Men came. His mother had been repossessed a few months before his father had been repossessed by a different one. He could remember the Repo Men's laughters when they repossessed his parents and left like nothing happened. Tom could only stare at their deaths and the pain he had felt to watch his parents die as well as fear of being left to fend for himself. He had to starve for three days, not that his life was any better when his parents were alive. After those three days, he decided to go out in the streets to find food. He even looked through the dumpsters to find something to eat, but he had been pushed away by the others starving as well. It was then he was saved by a young woman. She was in no way ugly, but she wasn't picture perfect either. She had black and blue shoulder-length hair. She wore the reddest shade of lipstick. She wore a revealing black dress that accentuates her hourglass body._

_"Here," she said, giving him a piece of bread filled with jelly inside._

_Tom merely stared at her in awe for a bit before he slowly and carefully took the bread in her hands. And not before long, he savagely ate the bread. The woman chuckled lightly and nodded._

_"Do you have a place to stay?" The woman asked._

_Tom shook his head vigorously. The woman frowned and nodded in sympathy. Tom stood up after that but continued to stare at the woman._

_"I see. Why don't you stay with me then? My name is Beatrice Figgins," she told him. Tom's mouth gaped open and was certainly shocked at her sudden invitation. She giggled slightly at his expression. "Is that a yes or a no? And what is your name?"_

_"I-I-I... Tom," Tom could merely answer the second. The lady gave a curt nod and smiled._

_"Well, Tom, come along with me if you have no place to go," she told him. She started walking and Tom followed behind. And for the first time, he smiled and thought his life would change for the better. But unknowingly, he fell into a trap._

_At first, Beatrice treated him nicely. She made food for him and brought clothes for him. She even had toys for him and a bed for him to sleep on. Tom thought he had it good. He thought he found someone who truly cared about him. But after three months, thing suddenly changed._

_It was already dark out and time for Tom to be already in bed. He was suddenly jolted from his slumber when he felt the need to go to the bathroom and do his business. He sneaked out of his room quietly. When he was out of his room, he could hear a slight sound at the end of the hallway. Tom, curious as he is, quietly went down the hallway. When he got closer and closer, he could hear the sound getting louder and louder. He could hear Beatrice's voice and then a male's voice replying back to her. The argument came from Beatrice's room._

_"I am not selling him for that cheap!" Beatrice yelled._

_"Keep your voice down, woman," a man seethed quietly, "I don't want that boy to hear us and run away."_

_"He has no place to go, and he's too scared to run away," she retorted back with anger and outrage. This was the first time Tom he had ever heard Beatrice this angry. "I fed him and brought him necessities and a bed to sleep on. I will not sell him for that cheap!"_

_Tom gaped in surprise and had a little understanding of what was going on. He knew they were talking about him and found out the kind woman who took him in was a fake. He felt betrayed and hurt. And more than that, he felt all hope of kindness was lost._

_"How old is he?" The man asked._

_"He told me he is eight this year," Beatrice answered uncaringly._

_"Does he listen? Is he healthy? I'm not keeping a child that will die as soon as he starves and does some hard labor. And of course, I won't keep a child who is ill-behaved," the man told her._

_"Yeah. Yeah. He's healthy, and he obeys whatever I say. I saw the boy in the streets; I'm sure he can handle starvation," she stated._

_Tom couldn't handle it anymore, so he quietly ran into his room and took out his backpack. He started packing his things quickly like clothes, snacks, flashlight, his favorite things, etc. After he got everything he could fill in his backpack, he peeked his head out the door to see if anyone was around. When he saw it was clear, he quietly made his leave. Just as he was about to go out the door of the house, the lights suddenly turned on and he saw a glaring Beatrice and a tall, lanky man who had his arms crossed and was looking at his finger tips with an uncaring attitude. Tom gulped. When he saw Beatrice take a step, he speedily went to the door and opened it._

_"Don't you dare leave," yelled an ill-tempered Beatrice._

_He didn't listen and ran. It wasn't long until he heard footsteps behind him. When he looked back, he saw a few men running after him. Fear gripped Tom and he ran as fast he could. Unfortunately, his stamina was diminishing and his breaths became shallow. Before he knew it, he tripped on his own feet and fell with a big thud. He unknowingly scraped his right knee when he fell. The footsteps of other men were getting closer and Tom started to cry out from the pain and his fear._

_Suddenly, he was pulled up. He looked up to see a different woman. She smiled at him and fear gripped him even further. He looked behind her and saw a woman younger than the one who is still holding him up by his arm. To the left of the younger one was another woman, she looked quite serious and dangerous. Tom noticed her icy look as if nothing would make her express her emotions. And as he looked in between the two ladies, he saw a young girl. She seemed worried towards him._

_"You okay, boy?" The woman holding him up asked. Tom mutely nodded. The woman chuckled and nodded back._

_"I'm Lina," she greeted. She then pointed her thumb towards the other girls. _

_"There's Shilo." The youngest of the three woman waved and smiled gently at him. _

_"The little girl is Emma." The youngest smiled brightly at him as if comforting him from his fear and pain. Tom could feel a blush making his way to his face._

_"And the cold-looking one is Mia." The coldest one nodded at him. Tom didn't know why, but he nodded back. "Don't let her looks fool you. She's quite nice if she wants to be," Lina joked._

_It was then footsteps came closer to them. Tom turned around and fear gripped him as he saw those men that chased after him. Tom immediately limped and hid behind Lina. Lina looked at him confused but looked to the direction he was looking at. The women soon went beside her and hid the young boy out of sight with Emma hiding with Tom and held his hand. Tom looked at her in surprise but found the comfort to be nice and made him feel safe._

_"Hey, you three seen a boy?" The guys asked towards Shilo, Lina, and Mia._

_"Nope," Lina answered clearly with a shrug._

_When the guys nodded and continued their way until they were ou of earshot, Lina and Shilo smiled. Mia shook her head and wondered how idiotic the guys must be._

_"Can't believe they fell for it, and I'm a terrible liar," Lina said with a chuckle._

_Shilo giggled and nodded her head. She turned around and smiled at Tom. Tom blushed and found himself looking at his shoes. It wasn't long before Shilo kneeled and patted his shoulder._

_"You'll be all right. Lina saw you running for your life, and we ran just in time to save you. Are you all right?" Shilo asked gently. Tom nodded._

_"You aren't a talker, are you?" Lina asked, but Mia spoke before Tom could answer._

_"Why are those guys chasing after you anyways?" Mia asked, straight to the point._

_Tom looked at all of the girls surrounding him before he gulped and started explaining. Lina scowled in anger and disgust. Shilo seemed furious as well but not as evident as Lina. Mia was still expressionless, but there was a small glimpse of Mia's eyes darkening just for a quick moment._

_"Do you have any relatives that you can live with?" Shilo asked warmly, losing her anger immediately._

_"No. My parents were repossessed," Tom answered truthfully. Shilo's eyes widened in surprise but she frowned and looked at him sympathetically._

_"I'm sorry," Shilo replied. Tom shook his head._

_"It's all right. My parents weren't nice people," Tom told her with an uncaring shrug. Shilo was startled at his attitude towards his parents. But before Shilo could talk about the matter, Lina spoke up._

_"So you've got no place to stay?" Lina asked._

_Tom shook his head._

_Lina looked over at Shilo and then at Mia before looking at Emma, who seemed to watching and waiting. Lina cleared her throat. She then looked at her two friends._

_"What shall we do?" Lina asked them. Mia looked over at Shilo._

_"It's your choice, Shilo. Would you like to take him in?" Mia asked. Shilo seemed to be caught off guard with the question. She seemed unable to make a choice, but she stared at Tom with a worried look._

_"But there isn't enough room for the apartment for five people," Shilo said sadly._

_"No need to worry about that for now. I'll take the couch and Lina could sleep on the floor of the living room. We'll think of a place later," Mia stated. Shilo's eyes lit up with the plan, but she looked over at Lina and frowned. She felt bad her friend would be sleeping on the floor. Lina caught her eye and rolled her eyes._

_"I've slept on the floor in many occassions before, so don't worry about me," Lina told her. Shilo smiled apologetically towards her friend._

_"He's here! He's here! What are you idiots raving about not being able to find him," yelled a familiar female voice. Tom's eyes widened before hiding behind Shilo. The three female adults turned to see Beatrice running towards them with rage. Emma squeaked and hid behind Shilo as well._

_"Oh man, why does trouble always come to us?" Lina asked with slumped shoulders. "Mia. Shilo. Take the children. I'll deal with them." Lina cracked her knuckles and smirked devilishly. Shilo sighed and shook her head and placed a hand on her shoulder._

_"Remember the bet? No violence for three days. You still have one more day," Shilo told her. Lina scowled in reply._

_"But this is an emergency!" Lina whined._

_"No means no," Shilo said firmly, "Mia and I will talk this out."_

_Lina sighed and said, "If I have to, I'm going to interfere."_

_Mia waved her off and smirked._

_"No need for I have a way," Mia said nonchalantly._

_Tom felt shivers down his spine as she spoke. There was something about Mia that could scare boys like Tom. And of course, she seemed rather like the grim reaper in some of the stories he read._

_When Beatrice had gotten near, she suddenly seemed relax and started to smile a sickly nice smile. Lina seemed disgusted by the fakeness of the smile. Shilo shivered at how easily innocent the woman could look. Mia, well, Mia looked the same as always._

_"May I help you?" Mia asked with a sickly nice voice. Tom gaped at Mia from the sudden change in voice. This woman is as sly as the snake that drowned the human in the story._

_"Oh yes, I'm looking for my son. I apologize for my yelling, but I saw my son with you. If you could, I would like to take him back," Beatrice said kindly. Tom immediately shook his head and he grasped Shilo's dress and looking up at her with pleading eyes._

_"She's lying! She's not my mom! Please believe me," Tom begged, tears brimming in his eyes._

_"Tom! How could you say that to your dear mother? I know you ran away because I didn't buy you a toy train, but it isn't right for you to run away like this," Beatrice scolded, wagging her index finger towards him._

_"Hmph, really?" Lina asked suspiciously with folded arms. Beatrice almost lost her mask but she maintained it as much as possible._

_"Lina, you are not allowed to speak," Mia said coolly to her before turning back to Beatrice, "So you are Tom's mother, yes? Then you wouldn't mind if I know your name, would you?"_

_Beatrice smile faltered but she still continued to smile. She was reluctant to let her mask fall. She gave her an apprehensive nod._

_"My name is..." Beatrice started, thinking through her talk with Tom and find out his mother's name. If she gave out her real name, she would be caught. She had no children and if she did not have her child's name in the roster, she could be gravely punished. Suddenly, she remembered the name and smiled._

_"My name is Adrienne Walters," Beatrice said. Mia smirked and went to her communicator wrist watch and went through a list. She pulled up a name and a face came up._

_"Adrienne April May Walters, formerly Adrianne April May, married to Charles Rupert Walters and has a son named Tom Keaton Walters. She is born on..." The communicator watch continued to explain when and where she was born and when she was repossessed. Beatrice's mouth gaped open in fear of being caught._

_"I see someone stealing children. Shall I contact the GenCops?" Mia asked sweetly. _

_Just as fear came into her, anger entered Beatrice. _

_"You wouldn't dare!" Beatrice bellowed._

_"I already called the GenCops. You have five minutes to flee or else," Mia said with a smirk. Tom's eyes turned into saucers and wondered when Mia had the time to call the GenCops. She didn't even speak at all during their chat or leave to talk on the communicator._

_"I don't believe you. I could easily put the blame on you, and you'll be the one in trouble. You'll be punished for not having him under the roster," Beatrice said, fuming. She stood upright as if showing she wouldn't be backing down._

_"Oh?" Shilo asked, finally speaking up after being quiet for so long. She didn't like to stand up to strangers, but she was willing to do so this time. "I have you know I own an orphanage. We do not need his name to be under the roster. As for you, I'm sure you do."_

_Beatrice gasped in horror but she continued to be brave even though she could feel her holding her liquids._

_"You don't have any evidence," Beatrice responded._

_Lina laughed and held up a device. She pressed a button and suddenly it repeated their conversation. Beatrice turned white as a sheet._

_"You... I don't believe you called the GenCops. It's all a deception," she yelled._

_Suddenly, the guys chasing Tom came back and saw the women, Tom, and Emma. They were surprised to be duped by them. And of course, they were angry. When Beatrice saw them, her confidence came back, but Mia seemed to stand firm without wavering._

_"Lina, no violence," Mia warned when Lina was about ready to have a showdown. When the guys and Beatrice heard, they laughed and wondered what a woman like Lina could do. Yes, there were scars noticeable on her arms. And yes, she seemed like a fighter. But in all, she was still a woman. And in their minds, women could not beat big buff guys like them. If only knew they knew her true potential. They would cry 'mercy' before they knew it._

_Lina growled and turned away._

_"Whatever," she mumbled loudly._

_Mia smiled and took a glimpse of each person._

_"But I didn't say you couldn't play," Mia said. Lina's eyes brightened and she smiled._

_"Well, let's play 'Catch the Big Bad Guys'," Lina said energetically. She then turned to the children. "Close your eyes. This game is only for adults, 'kay?"_

_Tom and Emma looked at her but they nodded. They closed their eyes. And to make sure, they put their hands over their eyes. All Tom heard were thumps and shrieks. And when he had permission to do so, he opened his eyes to see the big guys surrounded by a rope as well as Beatrice sitting on the ground with some pool of liquid where she sat._

_"Did you just pee in your pants?" Lina asked in disgust towards Beatrice._

_"Um... when did you call the cops?" Tom asked quietly to Mia. Lina smirked and Mia shrugged._

_"When I saw you getting chased by them," Mia answered simply while pointing to the guys._

_And of course, like Mia warned, the GenCops came and the evidence was given. The group were taken away and the mystery man that took in children for child labor was also caught. The children he had taken were now free and back to their families. Surprisingly, all the children had families they can go to. _

_Tom was under Shilo's watch. Just as Shilo said, Shilo signed up as a headmistress of an orphanage. The thing is Tom and Emma were the only orphans she was taking care of. And because of how crowded the apartment was, Shilo decided to go back to living at her father's home again along with Emma and Tom. At that time, Lina and Mia made visits once in a while to help out._

That was how Tom came to meet with the three women and Emma. And for some odd reason, they were the only ones he trusted right away other than children younger than him. If it was anyone the same age or older than him, he became suspicious of them. It took some time for him to get used to Graverobber before being able to play with him without having doubts. And of course, he may have befriended Nate, but it wasn't until recently did he trust Nate. And now, he had to get used to Hero, Arielle, and Animal. He didn't like Animal at all. She was too much like Mia. And of course, he liked only Mia to be Mia and no one else to be like her. Confusing as it may, Tom felt it logical in his mind.

Meanwhile, Pavi felt free for the first time. He was allowed to leave his room, and the first place he went to was Lina's jail cell. He had heard Luigi had been lectured, though it was more yelling than anything, by Amber Sweet for killing off the GenCops in a rampage during Lina's tortures. Pavi was thankful towards his brother. He had to find a way to thank him, maybe find a new shiny knife for him as a gift.

Unfortunately, Amber Sweet started being suspicous of Luigi. Luigi even told Pavi that she asked him if he was helping the culprit. And of course, he denied it.

_"What is wrong with you, Luigi? Why the fuck did you kill those bastards when they were getting answers out of that bitch? Do you care about her or something?" Amber Sweet yelled in her shrieking voice. Luigi flinched at his sister's voice that sounded much like a fingernails crossing the chalkboard, if they had any in this day and age._

_"One of them spoke up to me. You think I'll let anyone cross me without being punished," Luigi retorted._

_"Did you have to kill all three of them?" Amber Sweet fumed._

_"They told me to stop, so I killed them too," Luigi said nonchalantly._

_Amber Sweet scowled and banged her hands on the desk, careful of her perfect manicured nails. She went around her desk and towards Luigi._

_"Do. Not. Do. This. Again," Amber Sweet warned, poking him at every pause. Luigi glared at her for touching him with her disgusting finger. But since she was CEO and his sister, he didn't do anything. Well, he would always pretend to hit her, but she did the most damage on him._

_"Are you telling me that they should walk over me then?" Luigi yelled angrily._

_"Fuck no! That would make our family seem weak. I'm just warning you to not get in the way of business. If I see you trying to protect Shilo's friends, you are going to have to deal with me and maybe getting you kicked out of GeneCo. Do not make me do that," Amber Sweet told him. "But for now, I'm letting Shilo's friend off since Shilo will be working with us in GeneStein's new project. If she had an ulterior motive, she wouldn't be working with us. And even if she were, she wouldn't be able to get anything over at GeneStein."_

_Luigi scowled and said nothing more. And of course, he knew he could not do the same stunt twice. Hopefully, everyone treads carefully from now on. And if anyone were to go against GeneCo, he would be the one to take whoever it is down._

Pavi had rushed himself to greet Lina. She was lazing around on her bed. Pavi noticed her boredom and found it cute even with the bruises on her face. Pavi was still angry about that, but he didn't let it get in the way of his joy of seeing his bella again. He cleared his throat to catch her attention. It worked perfectly well since Lina looked up and saw Pavi. She sat up on her bed and looked at him questioningly.

"Why are you here?" Lina asked.

"To visit the bella, of course," Pavi answered energetically.

"Shouldn't you be helping your sister and brother?" Lina questioned once more. She started to sit on her bed with crossed legs.

"But the bella is more important," Pavi said with a smile, "I'm sure the bella missed me."

Lina sighed and shook her head.

"You should leave," Lina told him seriously.

Pavi tilted his head in confusion and asked, "Why?"

"Because I don't want to see you," she told him, "I've had enough."

"Bella doesn't mean that," Pavi said, hurt evident in his voice. Though he pretended to feel hurt before, this was nowhere being fake.

She sighed and shook her head again.

"What must I do for you to leave me alone? Can't you see I don't want to see you anymore," she yelled.

Pavi frowned and shook his head, not believing the words she said to him. It was then he found an idea. The only thing that she would always deny him, which allows him to visit her more often.

"Pavi wants to get laid with bella as the Pavi's partner," Pavi told her. He smiled in the inside, thinking she would deny him like many times before.

Lina stared in shock but closed her eyes several seconds later. A few moments more and she opened her eyes with a grim look on her face. Something in Pavi stirred when he saw that look. Fear gripped him entirely.

"If that is what you want, then I will give in. In exchange, I do not want to see you," Lina told him.

Pavi stood there shocked. This was not how he planned it. She was not supposed to agree. He did not understand.

"Does the bella hate Pavi that much?" Pavi asked, accidentally squeaking at the beginning.

"Yes," she answered quickly. Pavi could not see her lying this time since she was usually an open book most of the time. The happiness of visiting her turned into the feeling of horror. Suddenly frustrated and angry, he gripped the bars of the cell.

"Then we will do it on my bed!" He yelled, stomping away and out of sight.

Lina's tears fell, and she shook her head once again when she saw he was no longer close.

"The only way is to let go," Lina whispered before chanting it in her mind.

Not long after, Pavi's stomping turned into dragging his feet. He held his face in his hands and a wetness came onto his hand covering his face. And so, he let the tears fall.

"The bella cannot hate the Pavi. Nobody hates the Pavi," he whispered, wiping away the tears. His voice suddenly got louder and angrier. "Nobody. Nobody!"


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N**: What the heck did I just write? O.O. Oh well. Thank you to **Flipped-Out-Soldier** (lol, I saw some awesome fan-made videos of Flaky and Flippy. I've got to say they look cute together though Flaky's gender is still unknown. lol.) and **Emoen** (Well, I kind of like angst. It had to happen. lol. Yeah, I know I can't believe I become this evil) for the reviews. Oh yes, the most disliked OC villain has returned in this chapter! Yes, I know. I dislike her too. Okay, everyone, I'm pleading you guys to give me at least three reviews for this chapter. There is one reason for that, and that is a certain number. Why do I mind so much? Because I know some of you guys have perverted thoughts and laugh. I actually don't mind, but something about that number makes people have to comment about it. Lol. **Warning**: Some minor foul language and other mentions of adult themes.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Shilo and Graverobber looked at each other, feeling rather uncomfortable in each other presence. When she saw Graverobber with Animal, she was startled for a bit. But in truth, she was happy to see Graverobber again. Graverobber never thought he would see Shilo this soon. It felt weird yet it felt so right. And now, he temporarily stayed with Shilo again.

Shilo knew it was a bad idea for Graverobber to stay with the things that were happening. She wanted him to stay out of danger that was about to befall on her, but her attraction for Graverobber prevented her to do the right thing. She wanted him to stay by her side. She wanted to see his face and be in his arms. She wanted to feel safe by his arms.

She sighed before finally speaking up. The silence between them was too awkward for both of them inside Shilo's room. Usually, Graverobber would say something to get rid of the deafening silence, but his urge to speak was not there to save him.

"Do you know about Lina being captured?" Shilo asked sadly.

"Yeah, Kid," Graverobber told her. Shilo winced at him calling her "kid" again instead of "Lovebug".

"Then you know Lina is our bodyguard. Without her, things can get really bad. She's the one that makes sure our safety is first priority," Shilo explained. She gripped the middle of her dress and looked up at him in worry. "I want you to stay safe."

Graverobber froze and looked at the young female before him. She cared, he knew. She loved him, and he possibly may love her in return. Love. That's the word he was scared of. He didn't want to get into that mess.

"My life is full of danger. I know how to stay safe," Graverobber told her with a smirk. Shilo smiled at Graverobber's cockiness but suddenly turned into a thin line.

"I need to tell you something, Graverobber. Something important that you must do if anything were to happen to Lina, Mia, or me," Shilo said suddenly with much intensity. The smirk on Graverobber's face fell.

"Uh... okay, Kid," Graverobber said slowly. Shilo sighed, though she looked up at him with a determined look.

"Mia, Lina, and I made a promise ever since I got that letter telling me I should be ready to be the leader of the rebels, which I denied immediately. I had children to take care of. I wasn't going to let their lives be in danger by people's disregard of other people's lives for their own selfishness," Shilo began and she got up to hold a photograph of Lina, Mia, the children, and her smiling with no worries even Mia had a faint smile in the photo. "If a civil war were to break out in Sanitarium Island, we made a promise to stop it. I already made precautions for the safety of my children by having someone I know I can trust to protect them. Mia and Lina didn't know who it is. But when the time comes, that person will be revealed. I want you to make sure my children are in safe hands. If the person comes to take them, make sure she answers the password. And of course, this person is a woman. The question you must give her is, 'What is our only hope?'"

"Why me? Couldn't it be someone else?" Graverobber asked. He did not want to get into a mess. And her being Shilo, he knew it was going to be a big mess.

"Because I trust you. Because you are smart. Because I feel you can keep them safe. Because I love you. Because you are Graverobber," Shilo answered sincerely.

Graverobber felt a thump in his chest. That little heart of his always made him go soft. And maybe like the Grinch, his heart grew three sizes that day. Her love and deep trust for him made him feel wanted and needed. It made him feel like he finally had a purpose.

Graverobber sighed and shook his head at what he was about to answer. He didn't know those words from Shilo could affect him this much. The way she looked at him with such trust. A trust he rarely saw in life.

"What's the answer? The answer to that question of yours," Graverobber said. Shilo's eyes lit up and she smiled warmly at him. Tears started forming in her eyes at the joy to know Graverobber did care.

"The answer is 'love'. Our only hope is love," Shilo answered. Immediately, Shilo gave him a tight hug. A hug which held so much meaning that even Graverobber could feel the meaning in which Shilo wanted to show.

Lina laid on her bed, looking up at the ceiling in deep thought. There was pain evident on her facial expression, but it was not from physical pain. There, she thought of a memory.

_Lina was currently working as a GenCop by then. She had just finished killing off the people on the list with ease and went back to GeneCo building to change. She felt sickened from the killings after learning to live with her brother and living a somewhat normal life._

_As soon as her shift was over, she was about ready to leave but suddenly she had a new assignment. Rotti Largo wanted to personally see her. Knowing she should not cross the devil himself, she went on the elevator to see Rotti. As she entered his office, she saw Rotti sitting at his desk comfortably with his hands twined together while his elbows rested on the desk. She also saw the henchgirls to his far right, standing still like stone. Their eyes hidden behind their sunglasses. Lina thought that was a smart move because nobody would find out what they are about to do._

_"Mr. Largo, you wanted to see me?" Lina asked._

_Rotti smiles at her, but Lina know that behind that smile is the devil's smirk. But of course, she pretends not to notice. Back then, she was good at not showing her feelings for her benefit._

_"Yes. I heard you are great at following people without being found out. I want you to watch over my son, Paviche Largo. He is quite a character, just make sure he doesn't get harmed," Rotti told her. Lina merely nodded and the papers on Rotti's desk was given to her by one of the henchgirls. She looked at Paviche's photo as well some information about his usual whereabouts. "Now, I want you to start tonight. I want you to follow him for three weeks every night. There would be no need for any other assignments for you. This will be your only assignment. If you do not do your job well, you will be punished. Understood?"_

_"Yes, sir," Lina said before she finally was dismissed. Lina sighed and shook her head._

_She called her brother up, and he immediately answered._

_"Lina?" Her brother's voice called out. Lina felt relaxed at the sound of her brother's voice and smiled._

_"Ray, I might go home late, so you don't need to wait up for me. I just had a new assignment that might take up the whole night," Lina told him. There was a pause before Ray replied._

_"Oh, okay. I'll make some food for you. So when you get home, eat up," Ray told her. Lina nodded even though Ray would not see it._

_"I'll see you when I get back home," Lina told him and gave him her farewell before disconnecting. She sighed but stood up straight and went to get ready to follow a certain Largo._

Lina shook her head and knowing about Pavi Largo earlier than Pavi would think. She always had to save him from some big guys going after him since he always seemed to get in trouble by sleeping with their women. Luckily, he would never find out his savior for those three weeks was always her.

Her thoughts were soon interrupted by a familiar voice. A voice she did not want to hear that soon. When she looked up over at the person, she saw the blonde-haired woman wearing her usual revealing clothes. Lina rolled her eyes at seeing her smirk.

"What is it, Angel?" Lina asked before going back to looking up at the ceiling.

"Heard you finally got what you deserved. Sadly, you didn't get tortured enough," Angel stated in a sneer. Lina chuckled and looked at her again.

"I'm sure you wouldn't even be able to handle the tortures that I had gone through. After all, you would always whine about your perfect manicured nails," Lina retorted.

"Hmph. Whatever," Angel said with crossed arms but suddenly smirked, "I am here to tell that Pavi Largo is no longer yours."

Lina looked at her questioningly but she shrugged uncaringly.

"So you slept with him, so what?" Lina said.

It was Angel's turn to giggle. Lina cringed at the sound. Lina knew perfectly well Angel was no angel. Angel was not particularly a likable person, but Lina allowed her to live for so long because of her own reasons. After all, Angel used to be in her assassin clan.

"Pavi wants me to be his official lady. I came here to flaunt," Angel said cockily. Lina froze for a tiny bit before she sighed and looked up at the ceiling.

"And what does it matter to me? You can't hurt me with such news," Lina told her. Angel giggled once again. The sound really got on Lina's nerves.

"Pavi wanted me to tell you. He told me that you liked him. I know you are hurt Lina. And guess what? I love every chance you are in pain," Angel said. "Well, I have to go. I need to get a dress to get ready for the official news."

When Lina heard Angel's high heels clicking against the cold floor, Lina sat up. She watched her leave and when she was no longer in sight, a few tears finally fell from Lina's eyes before she punched the wall in anger and sadness.

"You are such an idiot," Lina whispered sadly to Pavi and maybe to herself.

It had been a few hours before she had some visitors again. She saw Shilo, Mia, and Nate walking up to her cell. Lina was startled to see them visit. She knew they shouldn't be here. They should be in the confines of Shilo's house for their safety. She scoffed when she noticed Nate's and Shilo's worried looks.

"Why the heck are you guys here?" Lina angrily yelled, "You are guys are supposed to be at home. Safe and sound."

"We were worried. We wanted to check if you are okay," Shilo told her worriedly.

"Do you think a couple of GenCops can make me feel as afraid as seeing you guys coming here to visit me when something bad could happen to you guys?" Lina questioned angrily. Nate looked at her guiltily. The girls ignored her question.

"Did you think we would be able to sit easily without feeling the need to worry about not having news about you?" Mia answered her question with another question.

"Okay, you visited me. Now, leave," Lina ordered with authority.

"But Lina, we miss you. When are you coming back?" Nate asked, holding the bars of the cell that had gotten in his way of going to Lina's side.

"I'll be fine. I'm sure it won't be long," Lina answered carefully towards Nate. She then turned to Shilo with a serious expression on her face. "I heard you accepted the job offer made by that Trent."

Shilo merely nodded her head. She looked apologetically towards her, knowing Lina did not like her decision. But in all honesty, she did it to protect everyone. To keep Lina safe. To make sure Amber Sweet did not think Shilo was part of the rebellion. To show Amber Sweet she is not the threatening force behind the rebellion.

"It was agreed upon within good reason," Mia answered.

Lina sighed, giving in. She didn't have it in her to argue as much like before. She was drained and tired out from the emotional pain. There, she delve into her own thoughts, wondering if it was the right thing or not. Her physical pain could never be as painful as the pain she had emotionally. And to think, he would take Angel as his partner. That was a sickening thought in itself.

"I heard Pavi wants to make it official with Angel," Mia said. Shilo and Nate gasped at the sudden news. They were both not informed by this new piece of news.

"When was this? Where did you get-" Shilo was cut off by Mia. Her hand held up to silence her.

"Yesterday. I had a call from Angel bragging about her and Pavi doing things at a hotel," Mia answered carefully as to not let Nate know. Oh, but he did. He wasn't stupid.

"I can't believe it! I thought he loved Lina. He shouldn't do this to her," Nate cried out in protest.

"Calm down, Nate. He and I are over. Whoever he chooses does not matter," Lina said calmly. Mia crossed her arms and looked as if she understood.

"You ended it with him," Mia said as a statement than a question.

Still shocked, Shilo tried to absorb and make an understanding to all the information she was hearing. She couldn't believe of all people, he chose Angel. She knew that Pavi Largo was odd. But for him to betray Lina in that way, how could he? How could he choose the one woman who wants Lina dead? He knew Angel hated Lina. He knew Angel wanted Lina dead. So why? It does not make sense.

"I pissed him off. He wants revenge. No one to blame except myself," Lina told him. She lied on her bed with her hands behind her back. "You guys visited me enough. Go home."

The three looked at the woman in the cell closely. They indeed saw her pain. Nate did not understand what was happening to cause Lina to make Pavi mad and break up with him. Mia and Shilo, on the other hand, knew. It was a decision Lina made in what she thought was the appropriate answer. They took a final glance at Lina before they turned around.

"You guys, stay safe. Even when I'm not there," Lina told them suddenly. They turned around to look at her for a moment before they finally reluctantly left. As they disappeared from sight, Lina smiled.

It was the next day when Pavi visited her again. This time he was bringing her to his room, and there was a lustful anger towards her. The guard opened the cell door for her, and Lina got up without any defiance. Pavi took her wrist immediately, but he froze at the hold. He looked down to see her wrist seemed skinnier than it was before. He looked to see Lina's eyes had lost all the confidence and spark in them. Somewhere inside him, he felt concern and the love he had for her was slowly turning up inside his chest. He wanted to hold her. He wanted his lively bella.

"Hurry up and get this over with," Lina said with a bored look on her face.

It was at that moment why he despised her. She didn't care, no matter how much he showered her with love and attention. He hated how she declines his offer of his love to her. So in return, he made it official with Angel, so he could spite her. He knew Angel would go to Lina and taunt her about Angel and him. But even then, she did not care. Angel told him she showed no care about the news. It angered Pavi greatly. And with that resolve, he gave a hard pull on her wrist and dragged her.

When they get to the elevator and he pressed the button of his room. They stood in the elevator with cold silence. He stared over at the brunette and to her wrist he was holding. He saw the red mark forming from his strong hold. He let go of her wrist, feeling sick knowing he was harming her. Never in his life did he feel this way for another. Lina was a little startled at the sudden release, but she did not like it. She wished he held on a little longer even if her wrist hurts. She wanted to feel his warm hand even if it was in anger.

Suddenly, a light gravity pull got out of their thoughts. The elevator opened to see Luigi coming in. He scowled at the sight of the two. Their eyes looking at him questioningly.

"What is she doing with you?" Luigi asked before coming inside the elevator and pressed a different number.

"The Pavi has the sister's permission to do whatever with her," Pavi said with a smile.

Luigi cringed in the inside, knowing that tone all too well. He was going to do that with her. Luigi really felt sickened. Luigi did dislike Lina, but there was something about her that made his brother seem more tolerable. But yesterday, Pavi made it official with Angel. He couldn't deny he was shocked. For him to choose that whore, it made Luigi's stomach turn in disgust. He positively knew he was going to kill her if she tried anything with him. That woman even tried to flirt with him while Pavi was being congratulated by the other rich folks. Because of her, he left the party a little too early.

"What is wrong, brother?" Pavi asked concerned.

Before, Pavi would never show concern. But when they met the women who took all their attention and hearts, he showed true human emotions. Luigi wondered if it was a good or bad thing. It didn't feel bad to have a family moment here and there. But as their women turned away from them, the brothers started going back to who they once were. And somewhere inside both of them, there was that feeling emptiness that returned again. They wanted that part of themselves filled again, but nothing seemed to work.

The feel of gravity lightly pulling them had interrupted their thoughts. The door opened and Luigi left. He turned around to look at his brother and Lina. There was something odd that he noticed. Lina seemed sad and worn. What was going on to make the woman become like that? Before he had taken a final glimpse, the elevator door had already closed.

Lina and Pavi were almost close to their destination. Pavi felt his stomach lurching uncomfortably as if he was going to be ill. He looked over to Lina again to see Lina lightly shaking. Was she cold? As if on instinct, he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. She looked up at him. He thought he saw longing in her eyes, but it must be his eyes playing tricks on him because Lina scowled and pulled away from his gentle hold.

"Must the bella react so coldly to the Pavi?" Pavi asked.

"I'm not your bella," she answered, "And of course, I would act cold towards you. Angel rubbed the news in my face, so I won't be kind to you like I was before."

Pavi suddenly looked angry and said, "Kind? When have you ever become kind to me? You always push me away!"

Lina glared at him and slammed the elevator's wall.

"Don't give me that nonsense, Largo! It took me a lot of energy to be as kind to you as I can. Your _brother _murdered my brother! Do you think I would ever fall in love with the brother of my brother's murderer," she yelled. Her chest heaving from yelling. She held her stomach in pain as blood started to form on her shirt.

Pavi's eyes widened at the new information and the blood seeping through her shirt. He held her closely. Worry evident on his face. Lina pushed him away. She didn't need his help or else the love she had for him would weaken her even further.

"I don't need your help! Don't touch me!" Lina yelled. She suddenly fell on her knees. Her hand touching the wall. Usually, she could handle the pain, but she hadn't eaten for days. And of course, she didn't get enough sleep. Her tired body finally starting to shut down.

"Bella, stop this!" Pavi demanded seriously. He was angry at her stubborn attitude while worried about her well-being. It was then he understood hr hesitance with him. The pain of losing her brother by his brother's hand. He also knew the woman he loved had a reason to dislike him. Yes, dislike. He knew she didn't hate him. She never really stated herself that she hated him. Yes, she answered to his question of whether or not she hated him, but he had never heard her outright say she hated him or his brother at all.

"Stop it. Stop caring. I won't be able to take it. I just can't," she implored him. It hurt her to hurt her pride like this, but she's tired. Oh, so tired.

"Please bella. Don't be like this. It will be okay," Pavi told her soothingly. He held her again against her will. She was too tired to push him away again. Somewhere inside Pavi felt hurt to see her beg him. The way her eyes seemed tortured was the biggest blow to Pavi. And he knew, the anger he had for her disappeared.

"I'm so tired, Pavi. So very tired," she muttered through his shoulder.

"I know, bella. I know. I'll call the doctor. We're almost to my floor," he whispered comfortingly. He immediately dialed through his communicator. It rang only once before someone picked up.

"Yes, Mr. Largo?" A male's voice asked.

"I need you to go to my room right away. My bella needs her wounds tended," he told him with such authority only a Largo can muster.

"Y-yes, sir. Right away, sir," the man answered before Pavi ended the call.

Pavi went back to looking at his bella and started to rub Lina's arm and held her close. It only took an elevator ride for everything to be revealed. His love for her was too different than with the other women he's been with, and he found out about Lina's suffering when it came to him. She tried her best not to care too much about him, and she wanted their complex love for each other to end. In the end, he could see how much pain she is in, physically and emotionally. She looked so weak now when he had a good look at her.

The elevator dinged and they felt the light gravity pull. Pavi hurriedly carried her in bridal style. He rushed in the middle of the hallway. Luckily, a Gentern was already there. She gave him a smile, and there was this seductive look she was giving him, but Pavi had no time to care. Lina was bleeding and during his rush, Lina had already fainted. He hadn't notice how much blood was lost until he looked back and saw a small trail of blood following behind. Pavi ordered her to open the door. The Gentern was surprised at the sudden change in Pavi's behavior. Usually, he would give a seductive smirk, and a lustful gleam in his eyes. But now, he seemed like Luigi. He was serious and unhappy. The Gentern did as he said, afraid of the punishment. But unlike Luigi, Pavi thanked her and gave her a kind smile. And once again, the Gentern was shocked. He rushed inside and the door closed behind him. She laid Lina gently on the bed. Lina's breathing seemed harder. Her brows drew together and showed how much she is in pain. Pavi could do nothing else but pace back and forth for the doctor.

Luckily, the doctor came in two minutes after. But to Pavi, a minute was already too long. The doctor had his bag. He looked at Pavi nervously, but he could see Pavi glaring at him to start. He did so. He gently took off her shirt and bandages. Pavi's eyes widened at the big long scar that came almost to her left shoulder all the way down to lower right of her hip. And to add to that, he saw scars all over like lashes from a whip or a cut from a knife or maybe even both. He cringed at the difficulties she must have faced not even Luigi's scar on his chest could compare to Lina's lengthy scar. After all, Luigi's scar was due to surgery. As for Lina's, it seemed different. The doctor sighed and looked over at Pavi after he cleaned up the wound and sewed her back up.

"Mr. Largo, she lost some blood but she would be okay. Thankfully, the bandage prevented her from losing a lot of blood. All she needs is rest, food, and something to keep her hydrated. From the looks of it, she didn't get enough sleep, and she didn't get enough food in her system as well as not drinking," The doctor explained. Pavi was surprised but nodded in understanding. He allowed the doctor to leave, and the doctor did. He closed the door behind him and left Pavi and Lina alone again.

Pavi started throwing away the bloodied up bandages and sat on the bed next to Lina's sleeping form. His pale fingers going through Lina's soft brunette hair. He suddenly picked up her hair and kissed it before kissing her lips. They were still dry, but he paid no mind. He loved the woman for reasons he does not know. It was then he decided to lie beside her and turned his body towards her and carefully held her in an embrace. He slowly closed his eyes and allowed sleep rule over him momentarily. The last thought he had before being unconscious was Lina's steady breathing.

A few hours later, Lina slowly woke up. She blinked a few times before feeling something heavy upon her chest. She looked down to see an arm. She was startled, of course. She looked to the side of whose arm it belonged to. Her eyes widened to see a sleeping Pavi next to her. She pulled his arm off immediately and sat up, which in turn, woke Pavi. Pavi yawned lightly and opened his eyes to see Lina already sitting up and looking down at him. Pavi smiled sleepily at her before sitting up.

"Bella, you are awake. The doctor says the bella needs some sleep as well as food and water," Pavi said. Lina stared at him confused. She opened her mouth but closed it immediately after not knowing what to say. Pavi giggled at her being speechless. He took a few strands of Lina's hair and kissed it before letting it go. "Bella must take better care of herself."

Lina then realized what happened in the elevator and her face turned red from embarrassment. She was even more embarrassed when he carried her. When he suddenly ran, it knocked her out seconds later.

"This is... weird," Lina muttered. Pavi giggled and held her in an embrace. His hand delicately touched the side of her head and directed her to his chest. Lina wanted to yell at him but her stomach suddenly growled. Lina was flushed from embarrassment, and Pavi giggled once again.

"The Pavi will get a Gentern to get some food for us," Pavi whispered. He let go of her and got off the bed. Lina frowned at the sudden loss of contact but shook her head at what she was thinking.

Pavi asked what she would like to eat, but Lina shook her head, hinting she didn't care. He smiled and ordered a lot of food to be delivered into the room. Lina rolled her eyes at how wasteful rich people could be from ordering too much food they knew they couldn't finish. He then turned back and asked what Lina wanted to drink. Lina shrugged, not caring once again. Pavi smiled, turned around, and ordered wine. Lina flinched and glared at Pavi's back knowing she didn't like alcohol. When Pavi finished, he turned back to Lina and smiled, making Lina squirm in her sitting position but was careful not to hurt her injury. She still felt confused at how things turned up this way, and Lina felt like a dolt.

Pavi made his way to Lina again and sat beside her on the bed. He embraced her again and laid her head on his chest. Lina squirmed. Pavi frowned and let her go. She faced him, looking rather awkward.

"I stink," Lina confessed, blushing. Pavi giggled and held her in an embrace again.


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N**: Yep, I'm that fast. lol. **Warning! **Mild sexual content ahead (more so than usual)**!** I decided to leave it at T because I'm thinking to have only three or four chapters consisting such content though it isn't a lemon (maybe and kind of lime). If you cannot take somewhat sexual details, this is not a chapter for you. If I get in trouble for not changing the rating, I guess I get in trouble. lol. Thanks to **Flipped-Out-Soldier** (Oh, okay. Glad to have Flaky as a girl. It took me a while to finally realize your username is in reference to Flippy. Lol. And thanks, I will try my best), **Emoen** (I know. I'm just being momentarily nice to him. At first, I wanted to make Pavi a tortured soul and make him go through a great deal of pain, but I will be nice to him for a bit. Lol), **MotherGothelFan1** (Glad to think you like them as a couple. Oh, it's no problem. Busy means you are busy, so I don't mind) for the reviews! ^-^. And once again, I have warned you all. Next chapter is most likely to be mainly Luigi and Mia. Reviews are welcome. Don't be shy. It just shows me whether or not the people viewing my story like the story or not. And of course, anonymous reviews are accepted. Just don't post repeatedly on the same chapter.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Lina stared wide-eyed seeing trays and trays of food on Pavi's dining table in his large room. She looked up at him, showing her shocked expression. Pavi chuckled and sat next to her.

"You have got to be kidding me? I could give these to Shilo to feed the children with," Lina said and then continued to stare at the food before her.

"Bella, stop thinking about others. Pavi knows the bella needs to eat," he told her before filling up a plate for her. He kept on piling the food, and Lina started to see how high it was getting.

"Okay. Okay. Stop, that's enough," she yelled while waving madly for him to stop. Pavi giggled and gave the plate to her.

Lina sighed and found herself staring at the pile. She looked over at Pavi, who was gesturing with his hand to eat. She groaned and picked up a steak with a fork and put it in her mouth. She chewed and found herself liking the taste. There was another fork who pierced another steak. Lina looked over at Pavi, who smiled and put the meat in his mouth seductively right when Lina gulped. Lina wondered if he was doing this on purpose to turn her on because it wasn't working. Usually, the girl would do what Pavi was doing while a guy would do what Lina was doing. But for some reason, the switched roles kind of fit them.

Pavi munched and gulped and smiled. Lina felt a little uncomfortable, so she decided to stay focus on her plate of food. She ate and ate until she could eat no more. She winced to see all that food left over.

"Do not worry, bella. The leftovers will be sent to the employees," Pavi told her. Lina looked over at him and sighed.

"Well, at least it isn't wasted," Lina mumbled. She leaned back on the chair and looked up at the ceiling. "Angel will not be too happy if she finds me with you," Lina said thoughtfully.

Pavi laid his hand on top of hers and gently held it whil his thumb made light circles on the back of her hand.

"She means nothing. The Pavi merely used her to make the bella angry. Other than that, she is of no use to me. The Pavi will cancel his engagement with her," Pavi said, "Because the Pavi knows the bella loves him after the events in the elevator."

Lina stared at him softly. After telling him everything, she felt at ease. There was no longer any hesitation or anger. There was no longer a heavy burden on her shoulders. Now, she can finally see Pavi as Pavi. She took her hand back from his hold, and Pavi seemed hurt by the action. She smirked at the sound of his groan of sadness. To keep him from protesting, she laid each of her hand on each of Pavi's shoulder. Pavi looked at her, startled at her hands being on his shoulders. Before he knew it, Lina was close to his face and she gave him a chaste kiss on top of his head. Pavi's eyes widened and he froze for just a moment, but he suddenly pouted after her kiss finally registered in his mind.

"Not fair, bella! The lips. Kiss the lips," Pavi whined.

"After I brush my teeth," she told him. Pavi was rather surprised at her statement. She was willing to kiss him. Pavi found himself ecstatic like a child and hugged the bella. Lina grunted in pain.

"You're squeezing too much. My injury still hurts," Lina informed him. Pavi let go immediately, looking down and blushing as if he had been a bad child. Lina chuckled and let her fingers run through the Pavi's hair.

"When the bella recovers, the Pavi wants to have intercourse with the bella," Pavi stated suddenly. Lina looked over at him and then looked away, looking rather apprehensive.

"I've got ugly scars on my body. It will only make you sick," Lina said quietly.

Pavi shook his head, and he suddenly put his hands through her shirt, touching the scars gently.

"Bella means beautiful. The bella is beautiful. The Pavi has seen the bella's scars before, and the Pavi feels no disgust. Truthfully, the scars make the bella more lovely," Pavi said without any lies evident in his eyes or voice. He smiled lovingly. Before she knew it, Lina blushed and pulled his hands out of her shirt.

"Stop that pervert!" Lina yelled in embarrassment, "I'm not that easy, mister."

Pavi giggled and licked the tip of his fingers as if he would taste her. Lina flinched at the sight and started to get red at how seductive he tried to be. Lina was this close to slapping behind his head.

"But the bella already taste so good. The bella belongs to me," Pavi stated as if it was a fact.

"Why do you want me? As a matter of fact, I'm not even a virgin, and I will in no way get surgery to make myself a virgin again," Lina told him with crossed arms but a sudden flash of a terrible crossed her mind. She frowned and felt sick to her stomach.

"What's wrong, bella? If the bella is concerned about not being a virgin, the Pavi does not care about such details, and the Pavi is sure the bella knows that not all the genterns the Pavi has laid with are virgins," Pavi said hugging her.

She sighed against his neck, making Pavi a little ticklish and turned on at the small act. He groaned in his mind that he need to get rid of the below area of his. Lina closed her eyes before opening her eyes again with sadness. She pulled away from him and looked into his eyes.

"Just to let you know, I don't know how to pleasure you. My first time was... forced. You could say it was not only against my will, but I wasn't even of age when it happened," Lina told him, finally opening up to him. Pavi's eyes widened and held both of her hands.

"The bella was raped? At what age? By who?" Pavi asked, a little furious, but it was not towards her.

"At the age of ten when I was still in my assassin clan," she started. Already, her brows knitted together as a pain-filled expression showed. Pavi took notice and found his thumb to gently loosen the brows. Lina sighed and looked up at him and continued, "The ones who did it to me are the ones who gave me these old scars. They wanted to make me ready when I become of age. To use pleasure as my weapon, so... the older assassins would do things to me. They wanted to make sure both of my private _places_ were ready. It was a nightmare. I would rather take the whippings than to go through something like that again."

Lina let out a breath and stared at Pavi.

"That is why I have a hard time with skinship. That's why I tried not to get too close or love you because I couldn't. Because I am afraid," Lina told him truthfully. Pavi was surprised but then anger filled his eyes. Lina was confused but Pavi let out a growl.

"How dare they?! How dare they cause much pain to the bella at such a tender age? Even I would not go as far as rape a child," Pavi yelled in anger. Lina was shocked to see Pavi angry like this, and she could see a hint of Luigi in him. He breathed heavily, trying to calm his down and looked at Lina again. "And what did the bella mean 'they'? There was more than one that raped the bella?"

Lina winced at the question, reminding herself at the time. She could feel those grubby hands of theirs on her, making her feel sick to her stomach.

"I'm sure you have heard about gang rape before. That is what they did to me as well as other _things_," she answered. Pavi cringed and even his own stomach felt sick just thinking about it. Lina noticed the look of disgust on his face. Lina felt hurt for some reason, wondering if he found her disgusting at the truth, but she didn't want to hide it from him. She wanted him to know. To allow him a chance to back out.

"Bella..." he whispered, holding her close to him again. His fingers went through her hair to soothe her. He still accepted her. He wanted to pleasure her. Make her feel good and rid of the pain those disgusting bastards did to her.

"Please let the Pavi pleasure you," he said in a sultry tone, "The Pavi wants to make the bella mine. Make her feel what true love making feels like."

And once again, she got out of his grasp and looked at him shocked.

"You are not disgusted with me?" Lina asked being skeptical. Pavi shook his head vigorously and almost felt dizzy from it. When he stopped, he stared at her lovingly. He gently stroke Lina's cheek with his index finger, and his eyes sparked with love and attention for her.

"The Pavi does not dare become disgusted of you, my sweet bella," he told her before kissing the middle of her forehead. Lina sighed, giving up and not being able to change this man's mind about intercourse with her.

"I don't know how to pleasure you," Lina mumbled, hoping he didn't hear. But of course, Pavi had good ears when Lina says something. He smiled brightly. He looked happy, ecstatic even, to hear those words from her.

He leaned over. His head beside hers. He turned as his lips were now near her ear. His eyes narrowed a little with such a lustful look on his face. Thankfully, Lina could not see the expression or else she would slap him again. Pavi knew that and couldn't help but smile.

"The Pavi will teach you with his methods," he whispered seductively.

Lina felt the tingles as his breath reached the inside of her ears. She could feel her lower area pulse, and she gulped and finding out she could be horny. Lina's cheeks grew red and her eyes were big as saucers (figuratively speaking, of course) from those simple words. Now, she understood what Shilo and Mia felt. Karma. It was finally her turn.

"S-stop saying that!" Lina half shouted and accidentally squeaked at the end. She touched her throat automatically, feeling embarrassed from her pitch going high because of being nervous.

Pavi giggled at the noticeable change and started teasing her. Since he was already near her ear, he started playing with her ear with his lips, tongue, and teeth. Lina's heart beated furiously against her chest at the action. She didn't do anything since she froze at the spot. But just as his tongue touched her ear, she felt the tingle, and she made an unconscious moan. Pavi stopped and his excitement rose at hearing such a melodious sound from her, even his lower area reacted.

When she realized what she had done, Lina covered her mouth with her hands. She made a small smacking sound as she did so. When Pavi moved away from her ear and looked into her eyes, he couldn't help but smile. Lina reacted like a shy virgin instead of her usual confident self. She could feel her ears heating up and found herself pushing him away from her after seeing his expression.

"The bella made such a beautiful sound. The Pavi wants more," Pavi cooed. He held her and started rubbing his cheek against hers. Lina once again found her embarrassment coming to no end. Pavi took her weakened state to his advantage and let his hand slip into her pants.

Lina gasped at the sudden intrusion of his fingers invading her area. She was about to push him away but his other hand was too quick. He held them firmly against his chest and smirked.

"We do not need to make love just yet, but the Pavi wants you to feel. Let the Pavi show his expertise," Pavi whispered. Lina couldn't help but gasp and moan and felt herself melting even more at the continuation of his fingers invading her. Pavi smiled and took her sounds and her doing nothing to stop him as permission.

Before Lina knew it, she woke up on his bed and him lying next to her with his arm over her possessively. She remembered his touches and found herself blushing at the sounds she made until she found the end to her madness. She blushed even further when he put _it_ to lips and tasted it. She groaned, wondering how she ended up like this. She sat up and sighed. She looked over to her lover at his peaceful sleeping face. He was so beautiful to her, so captivating. She couldn't help but smile. She gave a chaste kiss on his forehead. She gently took his arm off her body and tried to quietly get off the bed without stirring him. Just as she placed his arm back to his side, he stirred and looked over to his lover. He smiled sleepily at her but frowned when he noticed she was trying to get off the bed. In that moment, he found himself wide awake and the sleep in him no longer present.

"Where is the bella going?" Pavi asked worriedly. He sat up immediately. He was worried she was going to sneak away and leave him. But even if she did, she wouldn't be able to escape, and she would return to him.

"I have to pee, Pavi," Lina answered to clear his mind of her running away. Pavi's shoulders relaxed and he was joyous again.

"Ah, okay," he told her. Lina chuckled and shook her head at the change of his demeanor.

"Oh!" Pavi yelled suddenly, startling Lina at the outburst. She looked at him questioningly. "If the bella wants to take a shower and want to brush her teeth, the bella can do so. The clothes, towel, and toothbrush is ready for the bella in the bathroom."

She was a little surprised at how quickly the things she needed were there in the bathroom, and she also wondered when someone came inside the room. Was it when she fainted at having her pleasure? She shivered and blush at the thought. Without a word, she nodded and quickly went to the bathroom. Lina's eyes widened at the large bathroom. The details were refined and beautiful. There were plenty of rooms in the bathroom. There was a room with a large bathing area that only kings and queens use in the bathroom. There was also an individual room for a toilet and another individual room for a bathtub with a shower. She went back to the front to where the sinks are. There were three of them. She found the clothes and towel there. She picked the clothes up consisting of a plain white dress that went down to her ankles. She cringed at the dress. She disliked dresses with passion. Suddenly, she felt arms wrap around her from behind. She turned her head and her body moved slightly to get a good look at the person. Pavi was smiling seductively at her.

"Sorry, amore mio. The Pavi knows the bella likes wearing pants, but the Pavi's family only has dresses for women. It will only be temporary until the Pavi can find a tailor to make clothes for the bella," Pavi told her, but he suddenly licked his lips seductively, "And it would be easier for me to pleasure you again today."

Lina gulped and her face reddened at the suggestive content. She turned around and slap the back of his head, which lead to Pavi letting go immediately and let one of his hands rub gently at the aching pain. Lina took a step away from him and huffed while she crossed her arms. She tried to get her tough exterior back, but the blush never left her face.

"Last night was last night. It does not mean we are going to do it again today," Lina said to him. Her voice squeaking at the end from the thought of his fingers. She coughed in embarrassment.

Pavi's lower lip protruded and started trembling into a pout. It reminded of a little child who didn't get what he wanted, so he used a method to make the parent give in. Lina felt just like that. She could feel her temple throbbing, but she had to remain unaffected.

"Why are you in here anyways?" She asked, trying to change the subject. This was an appropriate time for that. Luckily, he took the bait and his pleading look disappeared.

"Oh, to take a shower with the bella, of course. Someone has to make sure the bella does not accidentally open her wound and also needs to help the bella with wrapping new bandages after she finishes," Pavi answered in a sweet tone with a smile.

"No," she told him straightforwardly, "I would be crazy if I let you."

Pavi frowned and then pouted.

"Why?" He whined.

"B-because, I don't want to. You just want to do _that!_" She yelled.

Pavi smirked and then giggled.

"Ah, the bella knows the Pavi too well," Pavi said but sighed and frowned slightly.

"I'm going to use the toilet," Lina said quickly before he tried to say or do anything else. She left to the room with the toilet and closed the door behind her and locked it. She sighed in relief, feeling like she escaped a danger zone.

Suddenly, a few knocks were made on the door. It made Lina jump slightly at the sound.

"Yeah?" She asked.

"Since the bella will not allow the Pavi to take a shower with her, the Pavi will take a shower first," Pavi told her on the other side.

"Okay," she answered simply. There was nothing else for her to say than just that. Pavi seemed to have been able to get to her somehow. How could she quickly become like a coward to him? She didn't want to think anymore and just used the toilet like she intended to do in the beginning.

"_This is going to be a long day_," she thought and a sigh escaped her lips.

After showering, bandaging, putting clothes on, brushing her teeth, and washing her face, she finally left the bathroom. The underwear she wore made her uncomfortable, knowing Pavi must have made sure the lingerie was only made of string. It was like wearing no underwear at all except the string was getting uncomfortable in her area. And of course, the bra didn't do anything either. It only covered only the very important parts.

She sighed and would have to deal with it. At least, it was better than none. She had to find a way to get her own underwear. This was obviously part of Pavi's plan to easily do perverse things like he suggested earlier. Sadly, she didn't notice her underwear until she got out of the shower and started putting on her clothes.

She groaned slightly in aggravation as she walked back into Pavi's room. There, she was met with Pavi reading a magazine on his bed. He seemed relaxed lying there. She smiled at the nice and pleasant scene. If he wasn't such a pervert, he would be more decent. But then again, she liked him for who he is.

When Pavi felt someone watching him, he looked up. Pavi's eyes widened at Lina and his mouth open ajar. She looked beautiful in his eyes. The way the white dress flowed as she stood there made Pavi's heart beat harder and he unknowingly held his breath at the sight. It wasn't long before he noticed Lina looking at him questioningly. He played it cool by giving a goofy smile. Yeah, real cool.

Lina couldn't help but chuckle at the smile and sat beside him. Suddenly, though, she looked quite serious as if she realized something important that needs to be discussed. Pavi looked over at her confused and took her hand in his while rubbing her hand gently.

"What is wrong, bella?" Pavi asked.

"Angel," she answered. She looked over at him and touched his cheek with her vacant hand. "If she finds out I'm in your room, she will go on a rampage. And knowing her, she can be scary when she gets too angry."

Pavi shrugged and waved his hand as if the subject was nothing to worry about. Lina sighed and shook her head. She pulled her hand away from his cheek, and Pavi had to pout. He pulled her hand to his before pulling her into an embrace and kissed her softly on her lips. He started getting into the kiss while Lina reacted in return, melting into his kiss. She slightly moaned giving him access for his expert tongue to glide in and gave a French kiss. This was a whole new thing to Lina since her tongue clumsily danced with his. It wasn't long before they parted and a slight string of saliva connected between the two lips. Pavi smiled and wiped Lina's lips with his thumb while he licked it off. Lina blushed at the kiss and the touch of his thumb on his lips. His thumb was quite soft unlike her calloused one.

"The Pavi shall deal with that woman later. For now, I want to be with the Pavi's one and only bella," Pavi said sweetly. Lina blushed even further and slightly smiled in joy.

"I love you, Pavi," she told him quietly. She looked away from him because she could feel her ears heating up again. Pavi's eyes widened in shock but he immediately smiled. His whole body feeling energized at those words.

"And the Pavi returns the bella's love with his own," Pavi said in return.

He put a finger under her chin and directed her to look at him. She was reluctant at first but gave in and looked directly into his eyes. He started giving her light feathered kisses on her lips, then to her neck, and then he went lower. Lina couldn't help but moan at her ticklish spot where her neck met her shoulder. Pavi smiled and started to mark her there. A small hickey forming there and become noticeable later on. Just as he did so, Lina's breath had gotten heavier and she moaned in pleasure. Pavi couldn't stop it any longer before his fingers started going under her dress and he touched her in her sensitive area. Lina gasped. Her eyes opened immediately without her knowing she closed him. She parted away from him, and Pavi stopped. He couldn't help but feel hurt at her stopping him from pleasuring her.

Lina blushed at a thought. She looked down while giving glimpses at Pavi like a shy silly girl having a crush. Mustering with all her strength and will power, she looked at him in the eyes and kissed him on the lips. Pavi did not respond and looked over at her confused.

"It's my turn to pleasure you," Lina told him softly, "So, teach me."

Her face had turned into a darker shade of red. Pavi being shocked was an understatement. He was positively dazed, stunned, amazed, and flabbergasted. Though the words are the same, this meant he was truly and utterly shocked to hear those words from her mouth. Pavi shook away his shock and suddenly his private area throbbed even harder than before. No one can make it sound so kinky as Lina did. Yeah, there were women who said the same thing as her, but this was Lina. Come on, this statement of hers could shake the world. And well, Pavi's world was shaking.

He smiled and his eyes shined brightly than ever before. He could not help but feel the love from this woman. She would do something like this in return for what he had done to her. She was just a puzzle he could not figure out, but he loved her for that. She belonged to him, and no other man will ever be allowed to take her away from him. No one.

Before he could think anything further, Lina took action and unbuttoned his pants and started showing her love for him. During the process of his enjoyment, she no longer needed his directions and gave him the most ultimate feeling. Let's say it continued until it was time for lunch. And of course, Pavi was fully satisfied to the brim. This was more than lust. More than anything he had felt before. Pavi felt fulfilled and complete. It was due to the woman he was having lunch with. He felt a throb in his lower area just looking at her and her lips. It didn't help when she licked her lips. He gulped and turned away. He had to eat. He needed the energy. After all, Pavi couldn't stop when pleasure was involved.

Meanwhile, Luigi chuckled evilly at the plan he made for Mia. It would destroy her. He would finally get his vengeance against the woman who had used him. He needed to teach her a lesson to not cross Luigi Largo. Sadly, he would not have foreseen his plan also had dire consequences. And in the end, he will learn the truth in the most unlikely way.

But for now, he shall continue the plan. First, he need to lure Mia to him. It was quite easy since he merely made a phone call and here she is, in his office. Mia stood completely expressionless. Mia would never know what hit her.

"Silver, I would like to thank you for coming today," Luigi said with a smirk. Mia nodded her head. She unconsciously curled her fingers, preventing her hand from touching the pain on her chest. The bruise of her heart by seeing the man she loved before her.

"What is it you need, Mr. Largo?" Mia asked, not trying to find out about his plan. She couldn't because this is Luigi Largo, her heart. But in doing so, she would go through a pain that could make her even more cold than before.

"I love you," Luigi said, trying to be sincere though he felt disgusted from the words in the inside. Mia's eyes were slightly surprised. Hook. Luigi saw it and hid a smirk. "_It's working_," he thought.

Sadly, he could not see the tears of joy she had inside her mind. Those words were what she needed. Those words meant everything to her. It filled her. She couldn't stop the feelings from bursting, and she didn't intend to. She allowed herself to be weak and gave in. Because in those three words, there was a meaning to her that no one knew about. It meant she was loved. Truly loved. Even if his words were fake.

"Luigi," Mia whispered. Line. "I love you too." Sinker. She's gone.

**A/N**: Just to let you all know, it may look like it is rushed between Mia and Luigi, but it isn't. You have to be in Mia's point of view. She's an emotionless women but she does have feelings. If someone says those things to you, would you not accept it? And of course, she's human. There will be a point in time she would have to break that wall. And don't forget, a person can hold in their feelings for so long until they finally break.


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N**: **Warning!** Once again, this is mature like last chapter. As you all well know, Pavi is a pervert, so I'm trying to put that side back to him. And of course, it involves sexual themes. Thanks to **Flipped-Out-Soldier** (Nice. I saw a doujinshi once between Flippy and Flaky. But sadly, it was never continued), **Emoen** (I guess I didn't make it clear. But yes, the way Luigi said it was foreboding.), and** repogirl1 **(Well, sadly, not for long anyways) for the reviews. I would like to apologize for the late chapter. I was consumed with things to do and had no chance in updating. I'm still working on the next chapter, but I'm all tired out and my muse is starting to leave me. For now, I'm trying to freshen my muse up, so I have at least something to write. And one more thing, I'm working on other stories not involving Repo because there are people who want me to update. Stress. Me no likey. Well, that's it. Happy Reading and please review.

Chapter Twenty-Five

She smiled at him. A smile she had never given. In fact, it looked strange on her cold and expressionless face, but it was real. Luigi couldn't believe it himself. To see her smile like that to him, he felt his heart thumping hard on his chest. Yes, his GeneCo heart beats at the rare smile. But before he gets sucked into the moment, he remembers his plan. He still wanted revenge, and he wouldn't allow this "new" smile to change his mind.

"I have finally get to hear those words from you," Mia told him, her eyes softening rather quickly. Luigi stared hard at her, wondering if it was all a ploy to make him fall more in love with her. He wasn't going to fall for that trap again. Oh well, he was just going to play along with her for a while.

"I thought it was about time to tell you before it was too late," Luigi explained.

Mia walked around his desk and pulled him into a kiss. It was a soft kiss unlike the ones they shared in bed. Luigi liked this strange new experience and responded back to her kiss. The softness didn't fade even then. Luigi was not forceful and just followed with the flow. And in the end, they made love in his office. And even then, it was different. A softer version and much more meaningful. Luigi even liked this version better as well because it was different. Something he had never done before, and it filled him. But somewhere inside of him, he still had this small part of him nagging him not to get pulled in, and he listened.

They laid naked there on the emptied desk of his. He met Mia's eyes. He never noticed how beautiful her light chocolate eyes were. They seemed content and... happy? Luigi felt his heart thumping again, loving those eyes of hers. And again, the nagging part prevented him from fully showing his love for her in his eyes. He mentally shook his head, remembering his plan.

"Thank you, Luigi," Mia said softly, nuzzling against his chest and also being able to feel his scar. A scar she so much loved because it meant that Luigi is alive and well because of his new heart. A heart which she could hear if she put her ear to listen.

Luigi looked down at her quizzically. By then, he noticed how slim she was since his whole arm could wrap around her. She also looked delicate like a porcelain doll as if holding her could break her. Her skin smooth like marble. She was not petite though. No, she was like a model. She could even be passed off as a model. Even more, she could have been a Gentern and he could have ravished her all night and all day whenever he wanted.

"For what?" Luigi asked.

"Because I finally feel loved. Forgive me for saying such cold words to you before we parted," Mia told him.

Luigi paused and stared at her shocked. This woman was unbelievable! First, she was cold to him then they got together and made rough love. After everything, she said those cold words and wanted to break up. And when he said those three simple words, she would soften up, made love with him, and then ask for forgiveness. Does she think Luigi Largo was a fool? Of course, he isn't. He wasn't going to fall for such a novice trick. And so he pretended. Pretended to love her and then crush her when she least expects it.

"I don't care about that. I needed you. And now, I have you," Luigi said possessively.

Mia chuckled and nodded against his chest. He held her there for a moment before both decided to dress themselves again. When they finished, Luigi showed his hand to her. Mia looked at it and then saw Luigi's smirk. She smiled and took his hand. They walked holding hands with Mia very close to him. This was very new even to Luigi. Mia never acted this way even when they were together. Now, after saying those three words, she seemed like a completely different person.

Lina and Pavi stared at the couple, wondering why they were in Pavi's room and how different Mia seemed to be. They were sitting at the dining table in Pavi's room. On one side, sat Lina and Pavi while the other side sat Luigi and Mia. Mia was close to Luigi and clinging onto his arm as if he was her whole world. And of course, the biggest difference is Mia seemed happier. She was smiling. A smile they had never ever thought they would ever see in their lifetime until now.

"So... you guys are together again?" Lina asked. Pavi's arm was around her shoulder while his other hand was on her lap. Surprisingly, she didn't seem to mind.

"Obviously," Luigi answered as if it was obvious. Lina was starting to get angry at the smartass comment of his, but Pavi rubbed her thigh to lessen her anger. And of course, she turned embarrassed from it. Yes, Lina was tamed. Who knew pleasure could make her yield?

"Brother, don't be so mean to my bella," Pavi told him but giggled, "But then again, the Pavi is sure you came here to show off."

"Yeah, so what?" Luigi yelled furiously, half standing up. Mia stopped him and pulled him down and pulled him close to her and kissed his cheek. He was shocked she was displaying such affection.

"Luigi, you should ease your anger. After all, we rarely get together like this," Mia told him, pacifying his anger with her soft tone. Luigi stared at her smiling at him and he sighed. His anger immediately gone for some reason. He wondered why, but he thought that it was him wanting to act like he listened to her, so she could fall for his trap.

Lina rolled her eyes and asked, "Other than showing off, why are you two here?"

Pavi smiled awaiting for an answer while he once again did his perverse move by putting his hand under Lina's dress and started playing her area with his fingers. Lina froze and tried her best to hold her moan. She stared at her partner and he looked back at her with an innocent smile. She growled under her breath, but she did nothing except fidget in her chair. Luckily, the table hid Pavi's actions.

But then again, nothing could hide from Luigi and Mia. Luigi knew his brother well, and Mia was a very good observer. The most obvious hint was Lina making a face which easily showed Pavi was doing something to her. Luigi expression distorted into disgust.

"Could you stop trying to get under her dress? It's bad manners to do those things in front of guests," Luigi scoffed. Pavi frowned and pouted.

"But the Pavi can't stop," he whined. Lina suddenly let out a sigh of relief, and Pavi smiled happily at his achievement. He took his hand out and a sticky substance was clinging onto his fingers. He slowly disposed of it with his mouth as if savoring the taste and then licking his lips when he was finished. Lina's eyes widened and she could feel another blush coming on.

"You idiot, don't do that!" Lina yelled at him and lightly slapped his arm. Pavi just giggled and lightly kissed Lina's lips. He stared at her lovingly.

"Only bella could make me feel like wanting more," Pavi told her. Lina blushed once again and coughed as an excuse to turn her head away from view.

"Yeah, like all the other women you've fucked with," Luigi added. Pavi sighed and shook his head while 'tsking' and wagged his finger for emphasis.

"Brother, this is where you are wrong. The bella is special. Not only special, but this is the first time Pavi understands what love is. The Pavi has finally found his soul mate," Pavi answered truthfully, holding Lina close to him. Lina looked over at him, staring at him for a moment and smiled.

Luigi rolled his eyes and crossed his arms in disgust at their lovestruck eyes staring at each other. He then, for some reason, looked over at Mia. She smiled up at him the moment he turned his head to her. There was a brilliance in her eyes that he noticed. He could feel his lips slowly curving up by themselves. He could feel a surge of electricity flowing inside him from just staring at her beautiful eyes. And for a moment, he forgot about his revenge.

Suddenly, he cleared his throat and looked away when he finally gained his mind back. By then, Lina and Pavi were already staring at them with smirks on their faces. Luigi growled, but Mia eased his anger by gently rubbing circles on the back of his upper arm. He sighed contently at her touch.

"Now, you know how I feel," Lina complained. Luigi stared at her and scoffed.

"So, why are you here, Brother?" Pavi asked, remembering his brother never answered the question.

"Just wanted to know if you want go out and dine with us," Luigi said. Pavi was a little shocked at the invitation. Luigi never invited him anywhere. This was rather rare of him. Pavi would love to come along, but he shook his head, declining the offer.

"The bella can't go, so the Pavi will not go as well," Pavi answered sadly. Lina sighed and patted his shoulder.

"You should. I'm sure loud mouth has never asked you to go anywhere with him, so don't waste this chance. I can wait until you come back," Lina told Pavi which she seemed rather okay with the idea of staying in the building. Pavi looked over at her and shook his head. If he had left, it meant that Lina would have to go back into the cell, and he wasn't going to allow her to stay in that dreary and awful cell (though the cell wasn't as bad as it seems).

"The Pavi will not leave his bella behind. Every moment without the bella makes the Pavi feels unsettled," Pavi told her.

Luigi rolled his eyes at the overexaggeration of both of them. He suddenly took out a piece of paper already written on it and handed to Pavi. Pavi looked at his brother quizically but then let his attention go down to the paper. He read it, and he suddenly smiled.

"Sister has allowed the bella to go outside?" Pavi asked, making sure it was true from what the paper said.

"Only in this moment when we dine out. She has to be back in GeneCo after we finish and not allowed anywhere else," Luigi stated. Pavi's eyes gleamed happily and nodded at the confirmation.

"Bella, did you hear? The bella would be coming with us," Pavi said excitedly. Lina groaned and shook her head.

"I was hoping to stay here. You guys know I don't like high class restaurants," Lina answered truthfully. Pavi seemed unperturbed at her statement and hugged her happily.

"Like anyone cares," Luigi said. Lina rolled her eyes.

"We'll be leaving in an hour," Mia said straight to the point. Lina's objection into going had been rejected. Now, she had to get dressed for a place she wasn't used to going.

"The Pavi has the perfect dress for my dear bella," Pavi said, standing up excitedly and then ran to the closet, rummaging through it. Luigi, Mia, and Lina watched him throw clothes all around and making a mess. Luigi scowled at his brother's untidiness.

Lina sighed and felt like she was playing dress up. Mia giggled at the scene. This sudden giggle of hers startled Lina and Luigi. Pavi was a little far away to hear and too concentrated on looking for the perfect dress to take notice. Lina wondered the cause of this change in behavior of her friend. It was as if Mia was a whole different person.

"Hey, Mia, let me talk to your boyfriend for a bit," Lina said.

Lina stood up and pulled Luigi over to the corner. Mia let go of Luigi's arm, giving her permission to take him away to talk. When they were out of earshot, Lina looked over at Luigi seriously.

"What did you do or say to make Mia act like this? She seems like a whole different person," Lina said. Luigi scoffed and pulled his arm back. Lina voluntarily let go of him.

"It's none of your business," he answered. Lina's eyes darkened, which made Luigi slightly flinch. "Whatever. I just said that I love her."

Lina's eyes widened and then slowly her shock decreased into amusement. A smile formed onto her lips. She nodded as if approving what Luigi said.

"So you finally manned up and told her?" Lina questioned. She suddenly chuckled and patted his shoulder happily. "Good job, Luigi. She deserves to hear those words."

Luigi was completely shocked that Lina called him by his first name. Never had she ever called him that before, and he seemed quite happy. It was weird and awkward, but he felt joy from her complimenting him. Luigi tried to hide it though. After all, Luigi wasn't one to show it since it felt embarrassing to do so.

"What's the big deal? It's only three words," Luigi growled.

Lina sighed and shook her head.

"It is a big deal. Just don't ruin it, Luigi. She doesn't deserve it," Lina told him wisely before leaving and walking up to her lover.

Luigi stared as she left. Her words repeated in Luigi's mind, and he felt a surge of pain in his heart. He immediately ignored it and turned his attention back to his supposed lover. Mia smiled at him. He smiled back. And once again, a surge of pain hit him. Was this guilt? He quickly denied it. His plan for revenge seemed to creep into his mind and started making him feel sick. Again, he ignored the sickening feeling. When Luigi made up his mind in doing something, he wasn't going to stop.

An hour later before they left, Luigi waited for Mia to get ready in his bathroom. He already found the perfect dress for Mia to wear as well as a necklace and bracelet to compliment the dress. When she got out, Luigi looked at her speechless. She wore a long red bareback dress just below her knees. Around her wrist, a silver cuff bracelet with spirals was worn. A single pearl on each spiral made a zigzag in the middle.

She looked beautiful thus far. The dress hugged her curves perfectly and made the woman look sophiscated as well as sexy. A red shawl had been firmly placed on her arm as she would wear it later when they get to the restaurant. The only thing missing is the silver gold necklace with a ruby pendant. Luigi held it, so he could help her with it.

Mia didn't wear make-up except putting on the red lipstick to match her dress and theme. She looked stunning even without the unnecessary additions. Luigi couldn't help but admit proudly of his date.

When Luigi noticed her staring at him, he cleared his throat as if he wasn't admitting to staring at her. Mia giggled and walked up to him. Luigi stood up and held up the necklace, hinting to her he was going to help her with the necklace. Mia nodded and turned around. Luigi gulped as he saw her pale back facing him. It looked smooth enough to touch. Unconsciously, he licked his lips. He had gotten near her and placed the necklace around her neck and clasped it. When he had finished, he held her around her waist and moved her hair so he could bury his face at the side of her neck. Her medium length hair had been done in curls to match the sophisication of her dress. He could smell her perfume. Roses, he thinks. She smelled perfect for the occasion. He suddenly parted after feeling satisfied and held her hand.

Mia turned around to look at him. Luigi was dressed in a white silk dress shirt. There was no lace involved, just a button up shirt with cuff links. A red handkerchief perfectly folded was placed inside his shirt pocket. His black dress pants are without any lint or creases. His black jacket was held firmly on his arm. A red ascot was worn around his neck to match with Mia. His hair had been combed back in his usual manner to make him have a clean look. He looked handsome.

"You look beautiful," Luigi complimented.

"To match with the handsome you," Mia soft replied back, "I don't want to disappoint Luigi Largo."

Luigi leaned his head back and chuckled. When he had finished, he looked at her and kissed the top of her head. He smiled and opened the door of his room. They let go of each other's hand. And instead, Luigi gave his arm for Mia to hold. She wrapped her arm around his automatically. And together, they walked side by side.

Lina and Pavi were already waiting by the limousine. Before the two took notice of Luigi and Mia, Pavi seemed to tease Lina with his usual perverted ways. Pavi couldn't stop taking his hands off of her as he grabbed her bum. In reply, Lina slapped the back of his head in embarrassment and in anger.

Lina seemed perfect in her light gray long-sleeved cold shoulder dress that went down to her knees. Her dress hugged her around the waist due to the band. The dress was also a turtleneck which Lina was glad for. It meant Pavi would not be able to make love marks in the restaurant. But then again, he was able to attack her exposed shoulders. She also wore black tights to hide her legs from being bare. It fit Lina perfectly to her tough attitude.

As for Pavi, he wore a silk gray shirt with an intricate design on the sleeves with a black vest, which showed off his slim figure. A black tie matched his vest and his black dress pants. Usually, he would wear black tights, but he changed it up and replaced it with pants. Instead of normal black dress shoes, he wore black leather dress boots. After all, Pavi isn't just any ordinary rich guy. He simply looked feminine yet boyish at the same time. His odd fashion only fitting him perfectly. His black hair had been slicked back. His arm had wrapped around Lina's shoulder while Lina's arm was around his waist.

The clacking of Mia's red heels against the pavement getting closer to Lina and Pavi finally made them take notice of Luigi's and Mia's presence. Pavi smiled happily and Lina seemed rather uncomfortable.

They entered the limousine in silence, but it wasn't silent for long during the drive. Luigi never liked quiet, so he started up a conversation. And like most conversation starters, it began with a question.

"What are you going to do about that chatterbox you announced your engangement with?" Luigi asked. Yes, Luigi liked to know the future about them. If she was going to be his sister-in-law, he would make sure to destroy that wedding and rip the wedding papers as well before and during the process of them signing it. Heck, he would destroy the whole building if he had to. That was how much he disliked Angel.

"The Pavi will be canceling the engangement soon. Do not worry brother. The Pavi knows how much you detest her," Pavi said with a smile. His hold on Lina tightened a bit but not enough to harm her or hurt her injury.

"You better! That insufferable piece of shi-" Luigi started yelling. But before he could finish, he was cut off by Mia kissing his lips. He automatically put his arms around and pulled her towards him while he replied to the kiss with more force. He didn't know why, but he couldn't stop. She was the only one who could make him this needy. The way her soft lips touch his, and the way how just a mere touch could make him lust for her in this way. This woman was a true seductress.

Lina looked disgusted at watching the display. She was about to look out the window until she suddenly felt a hand touching her thigh under her dress. She froze and looked over at Pavi. He was full of lust, and his face started getting closer to hers. Lina held in her breath for a moment before Pavi put his lips on hers. She gasped and gave him a chance to do his usual tongue kisses. Just as he did this, his hand on her thigh slowly went up, but Lina held it firmly and pulled his hand away.

All the way until they got to the restaurant, no words were necessary since they were busying themselves with their respective partners. When the limousine came to a halt, all four stopped their make-out sessions. Lina looked out of the window to see paparazzi. She groaned unhappily and shook her head.

"Nobody told me there was going to be paparazzi," Lina said aggravatingly.

"Do not worry, bella. The Pavi shall be by your side, hiding you away from the paparazzi," Pavi said to her. His arm wrapped around her waist protectively.

"You two are starting to piss me off," Luigi growled, "Let's go."

Lina glared at him.

"Shut it, loud mouth. If you told me about this earlier, I would've stayed back there," Lina spat.

"Now, both of you, it's no time to argue. We should get going. After all, we are already here," Mia pointed out. Both Luigi and Lina had a glare down. But seconds later, they turned away and huffed in anger.

Mia and Pavi secretly smiled at their little arguments. They were acting childish, but Mia and Pavi knew their respective partners well. It was their own way of conversing each other. It wasn't so much about hating each other, but they were close enough to piss each other off in a friendly way.

"Let's go, darling," Mia whispered in Luigi's ear softly. Luigi felt his spine tingle at her breath against his ear. This effect she had on him was so hard for him to understand. Slowly, he forgot about his revenge.

"Pavi, you better keep your word because I'm doing this for you," Lina said quietly in a frustrated manner. Pavi smiled and nodded. Her words of trust and devotion for him made Pavi swell up with happiness. He felt happiest at this moment with her by his side. He smiled even further when Lina wrapped her arm around his and held it tightly with her body close to him as if she was telling him to protect her. This night he would be her knight in shining armor. Just like Luigi, his head held high in pride. He was positively brimming with joy.

The paparazzi took immediate pictures right as Luigi took his first step. Luigi and Mia made their way into the restaurant while Luigi would answer questions here and there. Most of the questions were asking about the lovely lady next to him. Mia answered the question well for him, knowing full well Luigi did not want their relationship to go public just yet. All she said she was his date for the night. Luigi was glad for such a simple answer, and he grinned at how well Mia knew him.

Right after them, Pavi and Lina walked down the carpet. Lina hid her face against Pavi's shoulder, so she would not have her picture taken. Pavi looked over at her lovingly and took slow steps so she would not trip because of her trying to hide away from the paparazzi. He would also sometimes soothe Lina by lightly stroking her hair in comfort. Like Luigi, he answered a few questions, but they were short and simple. When they asked him about who he is with, he merely smiled and avoided the question. They also asked him about his engagement with Angel. He merely smiled and winked as his answer and continued quickly inside the restaurant. When they were away from the paparazzi, Lina turned her head forward and sighed in relief. Her hold on his arm loosened and she also held some space between them although they were still close.

Pavi frowned and missed the closeness, but he didn't frown for long. She smiled at him and kissed him on his cheek. Pavi touched his cheek in shock, but he soon smiled in return.

"Thanks, Pavi," Lina told him, "You kept your promise."

After hearing her words, Pavi couldn't help but kiss her directly on the lips. He felt the brimming joy erupting inside him. All the while, he wanted her right now. He wanted to show how much he truly loved her. He wanted to please her and make her satisfied with only him. But somewhere in him, he knew he would be the only one for her.

Luigi held out Mia's chair for her. She kissed him on his cheek as thanks. He couldn't help but blush slightly but not enough for people to see. He sat on the other side of her. His eyes trailed towards her neck. He left a bite mark there to claim her as his. He prided in himself to have the most beautiful woman as his own. A small smile formed on his lips at the thought of their intimate moment in his office. She was wonderful beyond anybody else he's been with, though most of them were of dead corpses. He rarely had any woman willing to have intercourse with him. Now, he had a woman who was willing and made it worth the while.

He truly did love the woman before him, but Luigi wouldn't forgive so easily. He still had his plan for revenge, but his nagging side told him he should stop. If he did, he would lose her. But he didn't care, Luigi is a proud man. He wasn't going to let anybody off even if it was someone he loved the most. And once again, the sinking feeling came back to him. He was confused as to what to do. Was it worth the revenge? They seemed so happy. Does he really want to ruin it for his pride? It caused an uproar in his mind but then a soft hand held his, easing the turmoil within him. He looked up to see Mia looking worriedly at him. He couldn't help but gaze into her eyes. They showed emotion unlike before. She cared. Truly cared. Now, he was left to choose between pride or love. As he thought this, he felt sick to his stomach from the already prepared plan. Luigi doesn't back out, and he had to prove that no one is allowed to cross him. But what about his happiness with her? Will it be destroyed from his plan of revenge? Maybe so. But to Luigi, pride is everything to him, and he would live with it. After all, he doesn't need a woman in his life. He lived most of his life being single, so why can't he go on living like he did before? He ignored the sickly feeling in his stomach. For now, he will have to enjoy his moments with Mia until that day comes when he would lose her. Unknown to him, he would once again face regret, a feeling he had long since forgotten.


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N**: **Warning!** Another chapter containing sexual content, not as bad as the last two chapters. This has a lot of back and forth point of views. I felt like banging my head when I got to this chapter, but I finally got to it. Thanks to **Flipped-Out-Soldier **(thanks, I tried. This chapter seems to be the hardest to make before the drama becomes a great deal from here on), **MotherGothelFan1** (Sadly, they won't be for long. I am incredibly terrible to the characters), and **Emoen** (Luigi is a stubborn fool. No matter how many times someone tells him not to do it, he does it anyways) for reviewing. As I look through this story, I'm really mean to the characters. One minute, everyone is happy; and in another, all hell breaks loose. Just a heads up, there's going to be plenty of drama and other things that comes up.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Shilo woke up with her lower area burning and sore. She turned to the side of her bed to see a man's chest. She smiled and twirled playfully on his chest hair. Shilo heard a groan from him and giggled. He sleepily rubbed his eyes and looked down at Shilo with a proud smirk. She rolled her eyes and sat up while she held the bed sheets to her chest. He sat up as well, not caring if he showed his bare chest.

"Good morning, Lovebug," he whispered near her ear, making Shilo's spine tingle from his breath hitting inside her ear. She looked at him with false anger and lightly slapped his arm from the sound of his playful tone. Graverobber rubbed his arm though he wasn't hurt at all.

"Good morning to you too, Graverobber," she said with a playful smile herself and kissed his cheek.

"You still can't believe we did it, huh?" Graverobber asked as he wrapped his arms around her waist from the back and pulled her to him. Her head lying on his chest.

"Yeah," Shilo softly said with a sigh.

"You liked it, didn't you?" Graverobber asked mischievously. Shilo blushed and slapped his hand lightly again.

"After the pain went away," she confessed truthfully, her face red from thinking about it and answering the question boldly.

"Well, you _were_ a virgin before I broke it," Graverobber told her playfully once again. She looked up at him and puffed her cheeks in mock anger. He chuckled and pecked her lips. She blushed and turned away shyly.

"I don't know why I love you," she mumbled under her breath. But of course, he heard it. If anything, he is proud of his sense of hearing.

"I can't believe I did it with a virgin, and it felt great," Graverobber said, feeling rather accomplished from their love-making. "And the sounds you made from our foreplay, it made me so hard in just a second. And when we did it, I almost couldn't stop myself from going faster and harder."

Shilo's eyes widened at how easily Graverobber spoke about it. It made her blush so easily. It was then she felt a sudden hard object hitting her back. She gulped and looked up at Graverobber.

"Don't tell me..." she started, but she couldn't continue with words.

"Ready for round two?" Graverobber asked, but he didn't wait for an answer before he suddenly got on top of her. Shilo was now lying on the bed, her eyes wide at her lover's lust. She too couldn't help but feel excited at his need for her and staring at her as if she was his prey.

Shilo and Graverobber didn't know how their first time happened. It just did. Graverobber didn't want to leave that night, so he stayed in the house all day for once. Just as Shilo finished tucking the youngest children to bed and said goodnight to all of the children, she left quietly and closed the room lightly. When she went upstairs, she noticed her room was open. She went in and saw Graverobber lying on her bed.

_"Are you okay?" Shilo asked._

_"I'm bored," he sang. He looked over to where she was, and he suddenly smirked as if an idea popped into his head._

_Shilo winced at the way he looked at her. She was sure it was something bad._

_"Hey, I've got an idea," Graverobber started as he stood up, "Stay here. I will be right back."_

_Graverobber left the room while Shilo watched his movements until he disappeared into his room. Graverobber looked for his coat and found it on the bed. He rummaged through his coat pockets and found a pack of playing cards. _

_He smirked and walked back into Shilo's room. Shilo looked at him confused and saw him sitting down on her bed and took out the cards out of the box and took out the two jokers. He started shuffling the cards with a smile._

_"Let's play strip poker," Graverobber said._

_And after a few games, it was only Shilo in her underwear while Graverobber still had his pants on. Soon enough, lust overtook them and that is how they got in bed. Even though it was Shilo's first time, Graverobber was gentle with her. She never felt so complete until they made love for the first time. Well, the first for Shilo._

"Is it supposed to be this sore?" Shilo asked, sitting up with the bed sheet covering her chest again after their morning round. Graverobber was still lying on the bed with his hands behind his head with a content look on his face.

"Yeah," he answered simply and then looked over at her with a smile. "Why don't you stay in bed? I'll make breakfast."

Shilo was shocked at what she just heard. Graverobber chuckled at her looking surprised. He sat up and kissed her lips. Shilo blushed and just froze there. Graverobber leaned his head back and chuckled once again. He took her silence as permission for him to get up and make breakfast. When he stood up butt-naked, Shilo turned away with her ears burning red. Graverobber rolled his eyes when he noticed her looking away.

"You weren't shy when we were rolling in bed, but you are shy when you see me naked?" Graverobber asked, putting on his underwear and pants. Shilo puffed her cheeks and point at him accusingly without looking at him.

"It's because I don't actually take notice," she half-yelled at him. Graverobber chuckled and hugged her from behind, kissing the top of her head.

She turned and squeaked. She turned back again and glared at him. He merely gave her a cheeky grin in response before getting off the bed and stood near the door.

"Stay in bed. I'll bring breakfast upstairs. I'll also make sure the kids have food in their bellies too," Graverobber told her, "Aren't I such a nice guy?" He laughed once again and left.

Lina and Pavi woke up in each other's arms. There was bliss on their faces as if nothing shall wake them. Well, until the door suddenly slammed open. Lina and Pavi awoke in a startle and heard heavy footsteps coming. Lina wiped the sleep away from her eyes and saw a flaring Angel glaring at them. Pavi yawned lightly and saw the blonde. He seemed to not care for her presence as he wrapped his arms around Lina's body while being careful of her injury.

"Ah, bella, may the Pavi know why your presence is here?" Pavi asked. Lina sighed in disbelief at how Pavi could be so calm. And for some reason, she felt as if she was taking Angel's man away from her, which is quite true since Angel is actually officially engaged to Pavi.

"What are you doing with her?" Angel yelled angrily before throwing a magazine with a photo of Pavi and her yesterday night as they walked into the restaurant with Luigi and Mia, "You are engaged to me not her!"

Angel then turned to look at Lina and yelled, "And when did you become a whore, Lina? I thought you have the decency to not steal another woman's man."

Lina winced and found Angel to be correct. She stood up. The blanket falling off her to reveal her wearing her undergarments. She looked over to Pavi and then at Angel. She sighed and shook her head.

"You're right," Lina agreed. Pavi's eyes widened and his mouth open agape in frozen shock. He shook his head in denial as if Lina was going to leave him again. He couldn't handle to be without her again. The feeling of losing her had stabbed fear into Pavi.

"Bella!" Pavi uttered loudly. He stood up stark naked when the blanket fell off of him. He immediately ran to her and held her hand with his eyes begging her not to leave him.

"Pavi, it was wrong of me to stay with you when you are still engaged. It's against my morals. I made the mistake," Lina started. Pavi was about to object but she held her hand up to silence him and pulled away from his hold onto her other hand. "Let me finish."

Lina looked over to Angel. Her face red with anger to see Pavi naked while Lina was only in a see through undergarment. Angel wasn't just angry. She was furious that Lina stole her prized possession. Her thoughts of an easy life slipping away from her because of Lina. Angel could not understand how she lost to Lina. She wasn't beautiful or pretty for that matter. How did she lose to someone like Lina of all people? She couldn't believe it and she wouldn't allow it. Her thoughts were soon interrupted by Lina's voice.

"Pavi will choose. It's his life," Lina said calmly. She rarely was this calm but Pavi found her calmness soothing. Lina looked over to Pavi and she smiled softly at him, another rare sight to Pavi. He fell further in love with her if that was possible. "Pavi, I want you to choose carefully. Do not be rash. Even if you like me, it does not mean we fit well together."

Lina cupped his cheek gently and kissed the back of her hand holding his cheek.

"A week," Lina told him and Angel, "When the week is over, he shall choose. Until then, I shall not be close to him or touch him because he is still engaged to you. And since he is still engaged to you, I have no say between the two of you, and I will not interfere what you two will do."

Lina let her hand fall from his cheek. Pavi was surprised and he felt his heart-break. He couldn't touch her for a week? It was impossible. He couldn't do it. He stared at Lina pleadingly. She couldn't possibly go through this.

Angel finally spoke again. Pavi forgot she was even there until he heard her annoying voice. It was her fault she was losing Lina again. He could feel the anger residing within him towards Angel, but he merely clutched his hand into a fist instead of showing it on his expression. Angel crossed her arms like a brat would when she had to give up something after being spoiled. She stared at Pavi for a moment before hugging him around his waist from his side. Pavi felt disgusted at the mere closeness between them. She was no Lina. He did not feel the satisfaction or the bliss he had when she was close, only Lina could satisfy him and make him feel at ease. Angel's hand suddenly clutched his private area and started working on him. Pavi clenched his teeth at the feeling, but he continued to stare at Lina. His eyes only seeing her. Lina had to look away from the sight, feeling disgusted that Angel showed no shame and the pain of another woman touching him while he did nothing. Pavi felt hurt, and no feeling of pleasure from this Angel could make it subside. He felt incredibly guilty to make Lina hurt as she is now. He could feel she is holding back all she could from showing how much pain she was in from seeing Angel trying to pleasure him.

"Deal," Angel agreed.

Lina turned away and walked to the bathroom. Pavi's eyes followed her until she disappeared into the bathroom. Pavi grunted and pushed Angel away from him. If only, he had done so earlier then Lina would not be in pain. And now, he felt regret. Angel was shocked at how Pavi pushed her away. She felt her anger rising but did nothing. She had to be careful. She wasn't going to let Lina win.

Lina held back her tears as long as she could. When she closed the door to where the toilet is, she let the tears fall quietly. She loved him enough to choose. She loved him enough to be patient. She loved him enough to let him go if he did not choose her. And because she loved him enough, she wanted for him to find happiness and let him find out what he really wanted. And so, she willingly went back into her cell and waited for the week to come after she was dressed up. She couldn't help but hug herself, remembering his touches and his hot kisses. She had fallen hard. Too hard even for her. And now, she was afraid. And now, she is alone once more. Another sacrifice she had to make.

Luigi and Mia stayed in bed after another night of love-making. Every night done in a different way; and in every night, they find themselves wanting more of each other. It was plain to see they were much involved. When they walked together in the halls of GeneCo, they were the new gossip. But when they spoke about them when the couple was around, Luigi would glare at them and the whispers would stop. Luigi smiled proudly from continuously striking fear into other people while his lover wrapped her arm around his.

His sister seemed to accept Mia gratefully and told Luigi that having Mia was good for him. He seemed happier and "less stabby". And of course, there were no topics about Luigi killing another victim in the tabloids or magazines. To Amber's relief, she no longer needed to bribe those greedy paparazzi from publishing any bad publicity against GeneCo.

Pavi saw the two together and felt the pain coursing through his veins. He saw Luigi and Mia holding hands and wished that he and Lina would be able to do that soon. Luigi scowled when he took notice of the depressed body belonging to his brother.

"I heard you have to pick between that crazy woman and that whore in a week," Luigi said, "You'd better choose the crazy woman. I can't stand either of them, but she doesn't annoy me as much as the one you are currently engaged to."

Pavi smiled sadly. He looked at Mia and then to Luigi. He could see how possessive Luigi is towards Mia, but he also knew his brother as well. He could sometimes see a certain glint in his eyes, that familiar evil glint of revenge.

"Brother, the Pavi would like to speak to you privately," Pavi said. Luigi looked at him questioningly before looking over at Mia for permission. She nodded her head and let go of his arm.

"I will be waiting in the lounge then," Mia told Luigi. He nodded in reply. She then looked over at Pavi and nodded to him before leaving. When she disappeared into the elevator, Pavi finally spoke up.

"What are you planning, Brother?" Pavi asked, his smile fading away from his face. Luigi looked over at him, a little shocked at the question. He growled, hiding his shock.

"I don't know what you mean," Luigi answered, crossing his arms.

"Mia is my bella's friend. The Pavi will not allow you to do something as doing the act of vengeance when brother truly loves Mia," Pavi tells him. Luigi's eyes widened for a moment, and it finally clicked to Luigi that Pavi knows of his plans. He suddenly grabbed Pavi by his silk shirt in anger.

"You'd be wise not to get in the way, Pavi," Luigi said sharply. Pavi took out a bottle and sprayed it in Luigi's eyes. Luigi yelled and covered his eyes. "You motherfu-"

Luigi couldn't finish his sentence when Pavi spoke up again.

"The Pavi cannot stop Brother, but Brother must understand that if you go on with your plan, you will lose the bella and you will never get her back," Pavi told him. Luigi chuckled and then stopped abruptly.

"She used me. Do you think I would allow a woman like her off because I love her?" Luigi asked, confessing he did love Mia.

"Did you ever think that she may have used that excuse for a reason?" Pavi inquired. "The bella does not seem to be the kind to just keep someone close just to let them go in the end."

"Then tell me why she all of a sudden changed? Why did she come back to me then, huh?" Luigi angrily asked.

"Something may have triggered for her to want to be with you again. She may have changed for that very reason," Pavi answered wisely. "What did you say or do to your bella to make her act this way?"

"How would I know? I just called her up and said 'I love her'. All of a sudden we made out in my office. Hmph, she is still good at it too." Luigi sneaked a smirk when he remembered that time. Pavi's eyes widened for a moment before he smiled and giggled.

"Brother, you told her that you love her. The Pavi thinks that was the trigger. She wants to be with you because you love her," Pavi answered wisely. Luigi was shocked but he glared at his brother.

"Stop spouting nonsense, brother. Worry about your own," Luigi scowled.

Pavi held his arm and looked at him seriously.

"Don't do whatever you are doing, Brother. You will only regret it," Pavi repeated to him. When Luigi seemed to not heed his words, Pavi sighed and shook his head before leaving him alone to think clearly.

Shilo felt Graverobber's arms wrapped around her as she sat on the couch of the living room alone. There was a peaceful silence between them. They were watching an old movie made years back.

"They lack common sense," Graverobber said towards the characters.

Shilo giggled and shrugged.

"It's a movie. What do you expect?" Shilo asked.

"If he loves her, he would drive his car that was there instead of running," Graverobber said, "It would be a lot faster and he'll be able to get to her faster. I think he's doing that intentionally, so she could leave and he could still have time to do it with that other girl. And for the main girl, what the fuck? She should seriously get her head checked. There were so many hints of him cheating on her, she should have realized it without seeing them doing it on the bed."

Shilo rolled her eyes at Graverobber's lack of romance and just enjoy the movie as it is.

"And as I stated once before, it's a movie," Shilo pointed out.

Graverobber shrugged.

"Why are we even watching these old movies for?" Graverobber asked.

"I thought it would be romantic," Shilo said, snuggling up against his chest. Graverobber smirked and kissed the top of her head, holding her closer to him. "But then again, cheating isn't very romantic."

"Well, at least we get to snuggle," Graverobber joked. Shilo giggled and sneaked a peck on his lips quickly. "Oh, you did not just do that. I'm not holding back now."

He turned her so she would be looking at him. He smirked before he tilted her chin up and kissed her. Shilo responded to the kiss while her arms wrapped around his neck. After their fervent kiss, Shilo parted and gasped for air before smiling lovingly at Graverobber.

"Love me tenderly," she whispered.

"Glad to," Graverobber whispered back. He stood up and carried her bridal style and went upstairs to his room.

Angel stood tall with all of her confidence as a woman. She smirked and stared at Lina, who was sitting there with a bored look on her face. Lina wonders why Angel was here when she knew Angel hated her guts.

"He doesn't love you," Angel finally spoke after minutes of silence between them. Lina rolled her eyes and laid her back against the wall.

"You're here to tell me this?" Lina asked with a quirked brow. She chuckled suddenly and shook her head. "Are you that bored?" Lina stared back at her with a smirk.

Angel could feel the anger enter her and she went up to Lina's cell. All of that confidence in her had turned into anger and jealousy.

"He just wants you to get into his pants. And when he finishes with you, he would just throw you away like you are nothing," Angel said angrily.

"Like he did to you?" Lina retorted with a smirk when she noticed Angel became more furious. "Nothing like that would faze me, Angel."

"Just you watch, Lina! You will regret to ever cross me,"Angel spat before stomping off.

Lina sighs and shakes her head.

"To think I saved her life," she whispered and shakes her head once again.

Pavi stared at the arm wrapped around his. Pavi usually doesn't get annoyed when woman put their arms around him, but he is this time. He felt uncomfortable and missed Lina's warmth. That woman of his could make him melt with a single touch. He actually missed her when he woke up in bed. He thought the woman beside him this morning was her, but he found blonde hair. He shivered and felt sick when he was greeted with a shrill voice.

Morning breakfast was tasteless to him when he watched Angel eat in a lady-like fashion. His Lina would do no such thing. She would eat like an average person would. And for some reason, he sighed happily at watching her eat. But of course, she would get annoyed with him and told him to eat with her like normal. When he didn't, she would take a spoonful of food and put it in his mouth forcefully. She would then chuckle and go back to eating her food while he chewed whatever she fed him. It felt great. It felt warm.

Now, he merely watched in a bored fashion as she ate, but it didn't take him long to eat his own breakfast. Breakfast was quiet. He missed Lina's voice. It seemed he was in far too deep.

"Well, that was a nice breakfast though the chef needs to make some improvements," Angel complained while she wiped her mouth with a napkin in a once again lady-like fashion. Pavi frowned.

It was sickening to watch her talk like that. Lina would accept any kind of cooking gratefully. Once, Pavi wanted to make something special when he was still at Shilo's place. The food was pretty much half burnt, but Lina would take off the burnt part of it and eat it as if it was nothing. She was actually the only one to do so. Shilo didn't want the children to get sick and forbid them to eat it while everyone else was smart enough not to do so. He smiled at the memory. Sadly, Lina got sick in the end anyways.

"Pavi, darling. I know you like Lina because you like the challenge, but you shouldn't go out with her in public. People may think you are together," Angel said with fake concern. Her hand lightly placed upon Pavi's hand.

"Do not speak of my bella as if she is a play thing to the Pavi. She is not, and the Pavi is going to cancel our engagement," Pavi said coldly. Angel was startled at the news, shaking her head vigorously.

"You can't do that!" She shrieked. Pavi winced from the loud noise.

"The Pavi will do as he wishes," he told her uncaringly. Angel suddenly glared at him. Her eyes darkened in anger.

"Even if you do cancel our engagement, you can never be with Lina. Do you really think she wants to be with a pervert, rapist, and a killer?" Angel asked, suddenly smirking. "Have you ever thought why she suddenly became cozy with you? Have you ever thought she might even be using you?"

Pavi stared darkly at her. But somewhere inside him, he felt doubt creeping into him even though he was loyal to Lina. The questions starting to get to him. Angel noticed the change in his demeanor and smirked.

"The bella will not take advantage of me. The Pavi knows her well that she would not do such a thing," Pavi answered. His first statement had wavered a little but he still held confidence in his bella.

Angel laughed and shook her head as if she was amused. It shocked Pavi and confused him at the sudden humor she found in them.

"You two are complete opposites. If the press finds out you two are together, you will be the laughing stock of the news. You will lose your fame if you are with her," Angel told him with an air of arrogance. "But if you are still with me, you won't lose your fame."

"How would the Pavi lose his fame? What nonsense are you speaking?" Pavi questioned, his curiosity peeked.

"Look, people don't like Lina. All they talk about is how pathetic she is. In relation to you, you both don't look like a couple. She will only bring you down," Angel answered, "As for me, people think we look good together. We both have the looks. People are mesmerized by us."

"Nonsense. The Pavi does not care about the press," he said.

"Oh, really? Then read this," Angel said with a smirk before throwing him a magazine.

Pavi looked at her questioningly before picking it up and reading it. It showed a photo of the time Pavi and Lina had dinner with Luigi and Mia. Someone must have taken a photo without them knowing which caused Lina's face to appear in the magazine in his hands. He read it thoroughly and found what Angel said was true. They called Lina "a pathetic woman" and that she was a "charity case". All the while, it said Pavi is starting to lose his taste in women. It also said he should have chosen a better date instead of trying to sneak attention.

Pavi could feel his anger seeping through as he crushed the magazine in his hands. How could he get bad publicity from that wonderful day? And how could they say he was 'trying to seek attention'? He _is_ the attention. He doesn't need to try. Angel noticed he was angry and smirked. She was going to make him pick her.

Pavi made his way to Lina's cell. She was already laying on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. She was so deep in thought that she did not notice Pavi standing there. Pavi clenched his hand into a fist. The public would never allow her and Pavi to be together, and Pavi could never give up his reputation.

"So you have chosen?" Lina asked. Yes, today is the fateful day he had to decide. Pavi avoided eye contact and instead changed the topic.

"Bella, how much do you love the Pavi?" Pavi asked.

Lina stared at him for a moment before standing up and going over to him. She held one of the bars of the cell. She smiled and looked at him lovingly.

"You are the only man I will ever love. No other man has my heart except you," Lina answered truthfully. There was no need to hide her feelings. Pavi immediately looked at her and he could feel his whole body swell in happiness. Those words were like music to his ears.

"Bella, the Pavi has already cancelled his engagement with Angel," Pavi said, placing his hand onto Lina's. "I miss you."

Tears fell from Lina's eyes and nodded. Pavi wiped away her tears with his thumb.

"I miss you too."

"Bella, the Pavi must ask you for a favor," Pavi started, looking hesitant. Lina stared, allowing him to finish. "Could the bella have surgery on her face?"


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N**: Take that! I updated. I know; I know. I should have updated sooner and on a regular basis, but I am too busy to write or even update. I tried to write a chapter for "A Fire and A Shadow" but I only got a little bit of it done before I had to stop. Thanks to **Flipped-Out-Soldier** (lol, I know. My story is utter awesomeness that it made you speechless. Kidding. Kidding. Yeah, I sometimes ran out of words too), **Sombry** (Ah, no worries. Just glad you finally reviewed. As for the question, my favorite couple would be GraverobberxShilo though I don't show it in my story. In a way, I love the pairings equally for their own different reasons. I'm sure people would think I would pick PavixLina as my favorite because they have the most storyline, but I only find them likable. I wrote them more because they have the open expressed relationship. GraverobberxShilo are the type to tread carefully thus the less written about, and I'm also sure the audience knows their relationship already so it wasn't necessary. LuigixMia have more of the story than GraverobberxShilo, but there are the aspects that need to be revealed because of the secrets Mia and Luigi hides. Yes, I find Luigi is secretive in his own way even if he is an open book kind of person. Sorry for the long explanation and how confusing it sounds. It made sense to me actually. I hope that answered your question and more), and **Emoen** (Yes, I ask the same question about Pavi's request. lol. I thought it was about time Graverobber and Shilo had their "moment" though it is written amateurishly. I couldn't help but laugh secretly when I thought about Graverobber wearing a girly apron when he decided to make breakfast for the family) for the reviews. I know I'm going to be hated for this. But for this one time, I will update the next chapter when I have **four reviews**. The reason? Because I noticed I mostly get three reviews, and it actually might give me some time to write the chapter and update while I see if this experiment helps me to write and update faster and see how many people are willing to review. I know it's stupid, but what can I say? I'm just too darn curious. If there aren't four reviews, I will just update in two weeks. Music I listened to "Who You Are" by Jessie J and and "What it Feels Like" by Jedward (the only song I like from them). *Hint* *Hint*. Sorry for the lengthy A/N. **Disclaimer**: I do not own Repo! or any of the original. I also do not own the songs or its titles.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

She sat in his room. Her head bowed low, her elbows placed on top of her legs, and her hands clasped together. He could not see her expression, making him feel guilty. She let out a sigh. Lina could not believe her ears at Pavi's request.

After Pavi chose her, she had been allowed to leave with Pavi. He did not need her answer right away, telling her it was all right to think about it. But if she chose not to, Pavi would know that Lina's love for him was limited. He does not know how hard this decision is for her. If she changed her face, she will lose her identity. Though it is a physical change, her face is still a part of her.

"It's only a face, Bella. Look at the Pavi. The Pavi has changed so many faces before, but the Pavi is still the same," Pavi told her comfortingly. He wanted her to agree, so he could keep both her and his fame. The thing was Lina was wavering.

"My face is a part of me, Pavi," she pointed out, "I love you, Pavi. I really do, but don't you think this is asking me for too much?"

Pavi sighed and kneeled down next to her. His hand laid on top of her clasped hands. His thumb rubbing softly to and fro in comfort. He looked at her conflicting emotions and the crease of her brows, showing how troubled she feels.

"For love, bella. Please do this for the Pavi. The Pavi does not wish to choose between you and fame," Pavi told her. Lina shook her head, tears forming in her eyes but she would stubbornly refuse them from falling. Was she going to make a sacrifice yet again?

"I have sacrificed so much, Pavi, to where I am now. Please do not force me," Lina told him, allmost pleadingly.

Pavi was shocked. He never heard her so heart-broken before. Was this simple request that hard for her? He wondered. But suddenly, he started to get angry. It was a simple request. It shouldn't be that hard. One face change. One simple face change.

"And why not? Why not make a sacrifice for us? Is the bella's love for me so limited?" Pavi asked, holding back his anger in his voice. Lina took notice and her eyes saddened at the doubt of her love for him.

She placed a hand on his cheek, caressing it ever so softly. The anger in Pavi suddenly subsided at the contact. Even more, he closed his eyes and gotten closer to her touch. His hand placed on top of hers touching his cheek.

"I've sacrificed plenty for you," she told him in a whisper.

Pavi looked confused for a moment then changed into anger. He forcefully pulled her hand away from his cheek. Lina watched painfully. She knew he did not know about her sacrifices she made for him. It was before he stayed in Shilo's home, before she became an errand woman.

"And what sacrifices did _you_ make for _the Pavi?_" Pavi spat angrily. His temper rose and felt like Angel's words were true. Was Lina truly using him? Did she not really love him?

"I took a shot in the stomach to save you. I made sure to kill any one that may try to harm you or take vegeance upon you because of your sexual escapades. I slept with a well-renowned man and killed him in his sleep as a means to get rid of him because you took away his lover. And the biggest sacrifice I made, I left my brother alone to watch you the day he was killed by your brother. I should have killed your brother as vegeance for the death of my brother. I could have broken you but I didn't. Those sacrifices were made for you," Lina listed, though she despised herself in telling him. She had hoped to take these secrets to the grave.

Pavi's eyes widened. He held no knowledge on some of those she listed. When did she do this for him? He felt confused and conflicted.

"During my GenCop days, your father gave me the job to watch over you and to make sure you stayed out of trouble. It was my duty to protect you, and I had to do everything in my power to do so. After I left my assassin days behind, I promised myself I would not use my body or use underhanded means in killing others for a job, but I broke my promises because of you and your lust. I slept with Adam Kingpin and killed him in his sleep, which was against my moral code. He almost sent his men to kill you for taking away his lover until I did those shameful acts for your sake, ending him before he ordered those men to be sent out. I had to break those promises to protect you from harm. I felt disgusted for myself for weeks after what I did. You don't know how I felt to break those promises that I intended to keep until I died but couldn't because you seemed to always have to go after other women and take their faces as a souvenir or a trophy of your achievement. As for your brother, I originally thought about killing him after the original one month stay you guys agreed upon at Shilo's place. I even thought about making you break down until you couldn't take it anymore, but I didn't in the end. All of those sacrifices I made was for your sake," Lina continued after seeing Pavi doubt her. "You can even ask your sister's two female bodyguards about it."

Lina stood up and shook her head.

"I never wanted to tell you this. I wanted to take it to my grave, but what you are asking is too much. It's not just sacrificing my face, Pavi. I'm going to lose my identity, the person who is standing in front of you. I don't want to think about who the stranger in the mirror is or to become like the rest of the women out there, ridding themselves of who they originally are. I can't possibly be that kind of woman," she explained, pouring out her true feelings as if it would be her last chance.

Pavi stared at her in shock. He was still processing all of the information in his head. He did slightly remember a GenCop saving him plenty of times because of his own selfish deeds and desires. He remembered a time when a large bulky man was ready to stab Pavi after he had his way of the bulky man's wife, but a GenCop happened to be there and shot him from behind, causing the bulky man to fall and die right there. But afterwards, Pavi fainted and then awoke again to see himself in his own warm bed.

"Bella was the one that watched over the Pavi?" Pavi asked. Lina sighed and nodded. His eyes widened at the new information. Realization hit him and he faintly remembered a GenCop rescuing him plenty of times until she disappeared moments after. After that, a different GenCop took her place and took over her duties. He remembered the new GenCop seemed bigger than the original. It happened years ago and Pavi didn't take notice until now

"I sacrificed enough," Lina told him, "Please don't make me sacrifice anymore."

Pavi looked to the ground and felt conflicted. To think, she was the one who saved him all the time when he was in danger, which was plenty. But then again, he is a vain man. If he didn't get what he wanted, he would do whatever means to get it.

"You have to bella. You have to. For our love," Pavi begged. Lina felt crushed that all those confessions she made did not change Pavi's mind. She sighed. For the sake of love, was she willing to sacrifice another part of her?

She closed her eyes and sighed. She stayed that way for a few seconds, causing Pavi to watch with hopeful eyes as he awaited her answer. When she opened her eyes, Pavi could see the pained look. He could feel his heart throbbing painfully at the image, yet he did not relent.

"Will you promise me this will be my last sacrifice?" Lina asked him. Pavi's eyes glowed at her answer, but there was something inside him that stirred, something that vaguely felt like guilt.

"Yes! The Pavi promises it is the last!" Pavi cried joyously. He hugged her and suddenly noticed how skinny she seemed to be. Did she not eat well? He could feel himself unhappy at the thought of his bella starving herself. But for now, he would celebrate at getting what he wanted. He would fatten her up like she once was. He would worry about that later.

"Then... I will change my face for your sake. For our sake," she whispered sadly. Her expression showed clearly of her true feelings. She disliked the choice, but she already lost too much already. At least, she would be with Pavi, even if she may lose herself.

Sadly, yes. She was willing to sacrifice herself yet again. Another loss that even Pavi would regret. Before Luigi's birthday, she would make her face change.

Mia seemed happier than anything. Two months. They stayed together for two months since they reunited themselves as lovers again. Luigi's birthday would be in two days, and she already brought him presents. She brought a knife with its sheathe encrusted with jewels, spelling out his name. She also brought herself underwear for his night celebration. She even planned his whole birthday to things he liked such as knife throwing and ordering his favorite pizza at his favorite pizza place. Yes, this Mia changed. She felt so alive. Felt happy for the first time. She smiled more, expressed more, and even talked more with a sort of spark in her voice. She was no longer the hauntingly cold person she used to be.

It was then she heard news of Lina deciding to have a face change. Mia was extremely surprised and that is why she stood in front of Lina and confronted her about this decision.

"Lina, what are you thinking? I'm sure you are not the kind of person who would do a face change. Is this Pavi's idea? Did you make this decision because of him?" Mia asked, her voice was cold and unrelenting. Well, Mia didn't change that much.

Lina sighed. She shrugged and looked defeated. She was drained. She didn't want to fight anymore, and so she gave up. Another loss, another gain. Hopefully.

Mia frowned. The person in front of her was not her friend. The one who fights and does not give up. She continues and strives on no matter the difficulties. Yes, this was not her friend. Lina would never give in due to peer pressure, even if it was her love for Pavi.

Mia laid a hand on Lina's shoulder. She shook her head disapprovingly. Mia noticed how different her friend became. She was slowly losing herself and Mia would be damned if she allowed her friend to drown herself even further.

"Don't do it. I know you do not want this. I know, and Pavi knows. This is killing you. I could see it. And what about Shilo? Shilo would certainly be unhappy if she finds out you changed herself. She looks up to you, Lina. You are the strong figure she needs to stand up against all her enemies," Mia told her.

Lina chuckled defeatingly. She sighed and took Mia's hand off her shoulder. She turned around and glanced up at the ceiling for a second before her shoulders slumped.

"This Lina in front of you no longer kicks butts for fun anymore. I no longer have the fight in me. To watch the man I love begging me to change a part of myself is too painful for me to bear. I know I'm losing myself. I know that Mia. I know this change will be a big influence to you, to Shilo, to Nate, to the children, and even Pavi. And when Pavi finds out this change will cause us to separate, it would be enough for him to break it off with me and find someone else. I know that, and I wanted to teach Pavi a lesson. A lesson that would finally see the consequences of his decision. If he does not see the consequences and change, then it is just tough luck at my sacrifice. I'm already a lost cause, Mia. I lost myself at that moment when I watched him do nothing as Angel touched him right in front of _me_. It's a sacrifice, something that I'm used to doing," Lina expressed freely, never facing Mia as she spoke.

Mia never thought in her life to see the day Lina would become like this. The pain surged through her like a lightning strike and pierced her soul. She could see how broken Lina really was. Sadly, Mia knew she could do nothing more. No persuasion would stop Lina with going through the face change. No matter how broken Lina was, she was still stubborn.

"And what about the others? Did you think about them?" Mia asked. Lina froze and tears fell finally fell. She held it in for so long, and she could finally let it go free.

"Then they must go on with their life, with or without me," Lina said with finality. She left and never looked back for it was her final goodbye.

Mia frowned. She did not stop her friend. She could feel it in her bones the news would crush Shilo and everyone else who were close to Lina. She could see Pierre cursing in French and search for her; Shilo would cry alone at the loss; the children would lose an Aunt; Nate would lose his mentor and who was his everything; Lina's co-workers would yell she was foolish to make the choice; and Mia would lose another friend and comrade. It wasn't just a simple face change. Mia knew that. She knew that this simple face change would not only mean the last sacrifice Lina would ever make, it would also mean the end of the one called Lina Masters.

"You still have time to change your mind, Lina. It is never too late," Mia whispered sadly. It was Mia's duty to tell the bad news and deal with the mess that goes with it if Lina goes through with it in the end. But somewhere inside Mia, she had a feeling Lina would escape her choice. After all, Mia was good with guesses.

Lina shivered at the feeling of her surgery. It was finally the day she made a face change. She could feel herself having cold feet, and it was the first time she ever felt this way. Suddenly, she felt a hand holding hers. She looked to the right to see Pavi smiling at her. She gave a small smile in return. Her uneasiness never faltered at all even with Pavi beside her.

"It would be all right, bella. You are doing it for us," Pavi whispered near her ear. She frowned and felt angered towards him for making such a comment. Was the lesson worth changing her face? Lina no longer had a sure answer anymore. It all changed when the day finally came.

"You weren't supposed to be here with me," Lina told him coldly.

Pavi was surprised to hear her cold answer, but he didn't seem to care anymore. After this, he would have his bella and his fame. He never thought about the consequences or knew the reason behind Lina making the choice.

Lina let go of his hand, even though she wanted to hold it to her dear life. She never saw the pained and confused look at the action on Pavi's expression. And right now, Lina didn't care. Didn't want to know.

"One last chance, Pavi, do you want me to make this face change?" Lina asked, hoping he would change his mind. She knew he wouldn't though, but she held onto that hope even if it would shatter.

Pavi stared at her. She never looked at him and he wondered what kind of expression she was having. He wanted to say 'no', but he already wanted this. He wanted to see the new Lina. He wanted to show her off to the world without the magazines saying they don't look good together. He wanted both love and fame, and he was happy he was getting just that. The minor setback would be getting used to the new face, but he was sure he would get used to it because she would still be Lina.

Lina took this moment to look at him glumly. She shook her head in disappointment towards him. Pavi was more confused than ever. She should be happy they would be together after this. Why was she so unhappy? He knew that she didn't want this, but it was for them. She should not be this unhappy. This should be a happy occasion.

"I'm sorry, Pavi, but I can't do it," Lina finally said. Truthfully, she knew it wasn't worth it, and she couldn't go through with it in the end. She never breaks promises, but this is one promise she had to break.

Pavi's eyes widened and he felt betrayed.

"What?" Pavi yelled, "You can't change your mind, bella. You promised!"

"And I am sorry to break that promise," she said to him. She raised her hand to touch his cheek but Pavi pulled it forcefully away.

"Do not do this, bella. Not when everything is already prepared," Pavi yelled angrily. Lina shook her head and sighed.

"I know you would react like this Pavi, but I can't go through with this. I love you that much is true, but I can never endure looking at the stranger staring back at me in the mirror," Lina told him.

Pavi's anger flared and shook his head incredilously.

"You do not love the Pavi. You are using the Pavi, aren't you? Aren't you?" Pavi yelled, "That is why you don't want to go through with the face change. Angel is right."

Lina's eyes widened at how little he trusted in her after all she went through with him and all that time they spent together. Was this truly the end of their relationship because of this one simple choice?

"You believe in Angel and not me?" She asked, her hand scrunching into a fist.

Pavi stayed quiet for a moment before he closed his eyes and let out a breath. Pavi shook his head and opened his eyes again. This time he was deadly calm as if something was brewing in his mind.

"The Pavi is sorry, bella. The Pavi didn't know what came over me. If the bella doesn't want this, the Pavi is fine with the decision the bella made," Pavi said with a smile. His arm wrapped around her back. "But bella, remember you made this choice."

The last statement sound eerie. Lina took notice of it, but she let it go. All she could feel his warmth overpowering everything else and the relief of not needing to go through with the change. She never knew Pavi could be so cruel. And like the saying goes, "never trust a Largo".

Meanwhile, Shilo was full of happiness. Her lover is beside her, and she is used to taking care of the newcomers. She actually started to love the triplets as if they were her own children. She felt her life is the way she wanted it to be.


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N**: Well, only two reviewed. I have to admit I am a little hurt. Oh well, it wouldn't kill me. Okay, I am posting sooner than I thought. I hope you all don't get offended. This is by far a little more emotional than any other chapter I have written. If you cry easily, I'm sure you want to have tissues right next to you because the waterfalls are a comin'. I'm sure the rest of you guys won't cry as easily, so you may not need tissues. Thanks to **Sombry** (yeah, I know the feeling. Usually, I read after midnight and my mind becomes a little slushie. Lol) and **Emoen** (I must agree. He is an idiot but a lovable idiot. *chuckles*) for reviewing. Enjoy. Thinking about making a Christmas special, but I'm not really too sure. **Warning! **Mentions of sexual content and some foul language. Basically, Luigi cursing most of the time and some from Lina.

Chapter Twenty Eight

Luigi Largo seemed like the kind to party, but he really wasn't. He detested surprise parties for it annoyed him when people tried to surprise him and he would accidently slash at some of them, killing one or two of his guests. And one more thing, he hated celebrating his birthday. It reminded him how old he is getting and a year closer to death. If anything, he wanted to avoid anything to do with being reminded about his age.

But this, this party Mia made for him is different. She knew he hated surprise parties, so he told him beforehand. He was against it at first, but Mia easily persuaded him. But of course, she left some details like his favorite knife throwing show he would most likely love and the pizza she ordered for him that she knew he would certainly enjoy. And at night, she will give him the time of his life with her new exposed red lingerie.

Just as he entered the building where his party is being celebrated, his eyes widened at his two favorite colors as the theme: red and black. His guests were of notable figures, even Trent de Luca was also attending. Pavi and Lina were attending the party also. Their hands intertwined, but Luigi saw a glint in Pavi's eyes towards Lina. At that moment, he knew something was up between them. He also heard Lina denied going through the face change. Luigi didn't really care, but he was inwardly glad she didn't go through with it. Why? He didn't know himself.

He looked over to the woman standing next to him. He smiled at her gratefully in a Luigi kind of style. Mia smiled at him in return and pecked on his cheek for good measure. He blushed slightly and merely cleared his throat to rid of the feeling. She couldn't help but giggle and lead him the way.

Mia immediately took him to Pavi and Lina. She knew it was better for Luigi to see them first before she took him to his sister and then to the other figures who were celebrating his birthday. Waiters and waitresses were going back and forth, bringing wine to the guests. A waitress came forward to them asking if they would like a glass of red wine or champagne. Mia immediately took the red wine while Luigi went for the white champagne as did Pavi. Lina, of course, didn't want any alcohol and so declined it. Mia whispered to the waitress to bring orange juice for Lina. The waitress nodded and left.

"Heard you didn't get a face change in the end," Luigi said with a smirk.

Lina shrugged and Pavi suddenly pulled her close to him. His smile unwavering as if he was shifting back to his old vain self. Nobody else noticed except Mia and Luigi. Lina was unaware of the shift since she was preoccupied with other thoughts to notice her surrounding.

"The bella wishes not to, so the Pavi shall not force her," Pavi said before sipping his champagne with elegance. "After brother's party, I want to give bella a surprise."

Mia immediately saw the threatening smirk come across Pavi's face. She was about to speak up but Luigi beat her to it. Luigi glared at his brother and patted Pavi's shoulder with a force that almost knocked Pavi down.

"Brother, I want to speak with you," Luigi said roughly, pointing towards an empty space. Pavi, not thinking too much of it, nodded and followed his brother.

"What is it that you need the Pavi for, brother?" Pavi asked, using his innocent facade.

"You know what I want to talk to you about. What happened between the two of you? Don't tell me you are doing something stupid again," Luigi said quietly in anger and loud enough for only Pavi to hear.

Pavi stared at his brother for a moment but brushed it off. Pavi continued his facade. In that moment, Luigi felt like snapping his neck for pissing him off.

"What happened to being in love with her?" Luigi scoffed. Pavi chuckled as if his words were funny, but then Pavi's facial expression shifted into a serious one.

"There is no such thing as love," he stated. Just as he said that, he returned to his usual vain self. "If you don't mind, brother, bella is waiting for me."

Meanwhile, Lina and Mia stood in front of each other. Mia was worried for her friend. She seemed to be zoned out more often since yesterday after Lina changed her mind about the surgery. And of course, she noticed how worned out Lina became as well. Her eyes said it all. The sadness in them could not have been unnoticed.

"Lina, be careful of Pavi. It seems he is still unhappy about yesterday," Mia told her.

Lina's mind went back to reality when she heard Mia's voice. She smiled sadly and shrugged. Suddenly, her head started ringing, and Lina suddenly lost her balance. Mia caught her, surprised at how weak Lina seemed to be. But of course, Lina was heavier than Mia and Mia squatted down while Lina's breathing became heavy.

"Lina, are you okay?" Mia asked worriedly.

"What has happened?" Pavi's voice sounded behind Mia. He immediately saw Lina in Mia's arms and helped Lina up. He wrapped his arms around her protectively.

"She needs a doctor, Pavi. She's breathing heavily," Mia told him while she touched Lina's forehead, "and her forehead is burning. She might have a fever."

"I'm fine," Lina uttered weakly, "There's no need for me to spoil it. I'll just leave with the guards to my cell."

"No!" Pavi declared loudly. Everyone stared starting at his sudden shouting. Luigi was already by Mia's side by then. There was no shame on Pavi's face when he shouted since all of his attention was only on his lover.

"What the fuck is going on?" Luigi asked and then saw Lina leaning onto Pavi with a weakened expression. "What's wrong with her?" Luigi pointed at Lina for emphasis.

"She might have a fever," Mia answered.

"Then why the fuck is she here? Take her to your room, Pavi," Luigi demanded. Lina chuckled and shook her head.

"So much for not spoiling the mood. I'm always making the wrong choice, huh?" Lina said weakly.

"Shut the fuck up. You aren't spoiling anything," Luigi told her comfortingly in his own way.

Mia's brow scrunched and her expression is serious.

"Hurry and lay her down. She's getting delirious," Mia stated. Pavi nodded and carried Lina bridal style and immediately laid her on the couch carefully.

"It's strange for her to become like this suddenly. I know when she will get sick beforehand but this was too sudden," Mia said to Luigi and Pavi. Suddenly, her eyes widened as if she remembered something. Luigi noticed and put his hand on her shoulder.

"What is it?" Luigi asked.

"She drank some orange juice," Mia answered, "It might have something to do with it. If it is the orange juice, someone must have laced it with something."

"The fuck and on my birthday too," Luigi cursed angrily under his breath, "And I was enjoying it."

"And you still will, Love," Mia said to him warmly and her eyes looked at him lovingly before looking back at Lina, "But right now, Lina needs to get to the doctor."

"I'm fine. A little poisoning won't kill me," Lina told them, "I only took a sip and knew immediately something was wrong with the taste, but I didn't know I would get this bad."

Pavi, Mia, and Luigi stared at her with widened eyes. It was then all three looked at her angrily. Lina opened her eyes to meet their glares and just smiled at them stupidly. There was also that relaxed air that she had like nothing was wrong, which seemed to fume the three even further.

"Are you fucking kidding me right now?" Luigi almost yelled through his clenched teeth.

"Bella, why did you not say so sooner?" Pavi asked in exasperation

"I'm sure she made all of us angry. But for now, shall we take her to the doctor?" Mia said calmly though she seemed to have a dangerous glow to her.

"No, not yet anyways. I promised Pavi I will go with him someplace. I already broke a promise to him, and I'm not going to break another one. Going to a doctor could take too long, and I'm not going to leave Pavi after what I did," Lina said stubbornly. "Look, I may be feverish, but I'll be fine. I know my limits. If anything happens, I'll speak up about it."

Pavi suddenly paled at what she said. He suddenly clenched his hands into fists while they shook from clenching too hard but not enough for it to bleed as his nails dug into his skin.

"The Pavi denies the bella's request. The bella must see a doctor. We can go another time," Pavi told her.

Lina shakes her head and grabbed his hand. With one touch, Pavi slowly unclenched his fists. She looked up at him with a weak smile but it was soft and true. Pavi could feel his breath hitch, and no other woman could make him feel this way except for her. For now, anyways.

"I-if you wish, bella," Pavi said quietly. Luigi looked at his brother as if he was crazy.

"What the fuck?" He yelled this time. The guests started staring at him and he glared at them when he noticed the room was quiet and everyone stared. "What the fuck are you all looking at?"

The guests immediately looked away and continued with their conversation quietly, afraid of getting on the bad side of Luigi Largo. Amber Sweet walked towards him as the clicking of her heels were heard. She was obviously annoyed and noticed Lina lying on the couch, looking sickly.

"Brother, stop making a scene. If you guys want to talk, talk in a private area," Amber Sweet said rather maturely for the audience to see. Luigi rolled his eyes at his sister's act. He knew when Pavi and him went home, she would nag childishly at them.

Luigi scoffed before pulling Lina up and pushed her towards Pavi, who quickly caught her in an embrace. Luigi looked over to Mia, who seemed to understand him by nodding. He then pushed Pavi and Lina quickly outside with him and Mia following behind.

"Fuck the place you are going to. Get her to a doctor," Luigi told Pavi with a glare.

"I said I'm fine, you loud mouth. When did you became such a care bear anyways?" Lina said mockingly while waving away his kindness.

"Brother, the Pavi will make sure she will be taken care of. Do not worry," Pavi said gently, looking toward his lover with such worried eyes. "You know how stubborn the bella is."

Luigi stared at him with doubt but then he suddenly patted his shoulder with a loud thud. He stared right into his eyes as if telling him not to do something stupid to her. Pavi firmly nodded in all seriousness. It was then a limo came by without warning. Mia looked over at her friend with a worried glance before looking at Pavi with a glare.

"Take care of her," she said seriously. Pavi nodded once again. Lina rolled her eyes at the sudden kindness she seemed obviously uncomfortable with.

"Let's go, mia bella," Pavi whispered as he gently helped her in the vehicle. Pavi looked back at his brother and his lover one last time before going into the vehicle. They left to whatever place they were going to.

Luigi and Mia sighed at the same time. Luigi looked over at Mia. He could see she seemed worried and put an arm around her and held her close. Mia smiled at the comfort and warmth he gave off and kissed his cheek.

"She'll be fine," she said not only to him but to herself as well. Luigi nodded and the celebration began once again.

There was a quiet silence between Lina and Pavi, partly because of Lina's weakened state. Pavi laid her head on his shoulder for her to get a little rest while his thoughts were some place else. He started fidgeting nervously and Lina could feel it. After a while, she finally peeked up at her lover and saw his worried expression. She laid her hand on his. Pavi jumped a little at the touch but calmed after she started rubbing the back of his hand in gentle circles with her thumb.

"What are you nervous about?" She said quietly.

"The Pavi is just worried about you, bella," Pavi told her, kissing her sweaty forehead before wiping it off with a handkerchief.

Lina chuckled weakly but her body suddenly started shivering. Pavi looked over at her immediately, fear evident in her face. She saw this and waved off his worry.

"After all I've done to you, I'm sure you must hate me. And I'm fine. I'm not some lady in distress," she told him with utmost confidence.

"Bella..." he whispered before taking off his jacket and putting it over her. "The bella is still a lady and should be treated as such."

She chuckled once again as if the subject was funny to her. Pavi frowned at how lightly she looked down on herself. It was not funny to him. In the usual situation, he would get used to it. But to see her like this as she degraded herself, it struck him hard.

"I love you, Pavi. I love you so much," she said before he felt something went on his shoulder. He knew very well she was crying, but he pretended not to know. "I gave you my body last night, but it seems I have not satisfied you enough, did I? You shouldn't have picked me. A worthless woman."

Pavi sat still, not saying a word but then tears started to form in his eyes as he listened to her. There was so much he had not known about her. And truthfully, if it was in the past, he would not care. It only took her being poisoned to finally cherish the feelings she had for him and vice versa.

"I loves you, my bella. Do not say the bella does not satisfy me because the bella satisfies me enough. And please, do not say another word. The bella must keep her energy for the announcement. We are almost there," Pavi said with a fake smile. "But before the Pavi can take the bella inside, the Pavi must speak to some people in the building. The Pavi cannot wait to tell Sanitarium Island that the bella will be the Pavi's bride to be."

Lina smiled at that and kissed him on his cheek.

"If you are really sure," she told him. Pavi looked at her and kissed her forehead.

"The Pavi is very sure," Pavi told her softly and confidently in his voice.

When the limousine stopped, the door was opened by the chauffeur. Pavi took one last look at Lina with an unknown look on his face before setting off into the building. When the door closed once again and as she saw Pavi's body disappear into the building, Lina finally closed her eyes and started breathing heavily.

"_I will not let a mere sip of poison take me down. I've been through tougher situations. I can do this. I must be strong for Pavi and everyone_," Lina thought with all of her strength.

After a long few moments, the door suddenly opened. She opened her eyes, thinking it would be Pavi but she saw the figure she disliked. Angel with all of her glory, dressed in a seductive red dress, smirked at her. Lina sat up and glared at her. She wasn't going to show Angel that she was poisoned or how weak she really is right now.

"What are you doing here?" Lina growled darkly.

Angel shrugged with her usual confident air. She went inside and sat in front of her while she crossed her legs as her dress scrunched up to show more of her skin. Instead of looking at her, Angel looked at her red nails.

"Did you know why Pavi took you here?" Angel asked in a somewhat an amused tone yet there was a darkness in it. Lina did not show anything on her expression.

"What do you want?" Lina asked, avoiding the question.

Angel chuckled and shrugged.

"We made a plan that if you denied the face change, he would make you suffer. In that building, we set a trap for you. He was going to humiliate you. Last night, he took pictures of you in bed naked and would show it to the press. He was going to announce that you are the ugliest woman he had ever had sex with. And after that, he would take me as his fiancee again," Angel explained.

Lina froze for a moment but glared at her once again.

"He would not do that to me," Lina replied gruffly.

Angel giggled her usual annoying giggle. Lina winced at the sound as it gave her a headache to her already aching and pounding head, but Lina did not falter even then. She was going to be strong.

"Poor little Lina, why are you in such denial?" Angel asked.

It was then the door opened once again. And once again, Lina did not see Pavi. Instead, there were three men. She recognized them immediately. They were the three guys she beat up at the amusement park for hurting Nate and Pavi (refer to the prequel Ch. 13 of the chapter list) . In the back, she realized another man. He seemed somewhat familiar until her eyes widened at who he was. He was the guy from her past, the one that tried to hurt Emma, and she hurt him twice in return (refer to Ch. 19). Each one had an evil grin on their faces.

"Remember me?" The man behind the three buff men asked.

"And us?" The three men standing in front of door added.

Lina did not let her shock stop her from glaring at her enemies. She knew indefinitely they wanted revenge. She wondered why they were here.

"There are more in the building. Pavi and I planned all of this. After he finished humiliating you, he will be handing you to your enemies and let them do whatever they want with you," Angel told her with a big grin, "And you fell right into our trap."

Lina froze. She should have realized after Pavi seemed to act weird when he was all smiles at breaking her promise with him of getting the surgery. And what she thought was making love last night was only pure sex. Nothing else. No love involved. It pained her, but nothing else broke her heart more than Pavi revealing what should be an intimate moment between them. She didn't care about the betrayal for she should have seen it coming but never thought it would happen until now. She didn't care if her enemies would shame her to oblivion. The one she only cared about is Pavi. Her own Pavi who once told her she was beautiful. It made her feel beautiful. Now, the word beautiful became an ugly word to her. Even though the love was fake, she would at least feel that moment with him.

"Do you think I would let you put your hands on me?" Lina asked coldly.

They all chuckled but not Angel. Fear was evident on her eyes. She looked over at the fools for laughing. She had forgotten Lina wasn't ordinary, and she wasn't one to mess with when angry. After all, she shed a lot of blood during her youth.

"You have no weapons. What are you going to do?" The man in the back taunted. Angel paled and froze on the spot.

"Who said I didn't?" Lina said with a blood lust look.

Before anyone could react, Lina thrusted her fingers with a quick motion that didn't give anyone time to react at the closest person's throat which was the skinny one of the three bullies from the amusement park. Blood poured out from her fingers and a deepened wound at the throat of the victim. He fell dead immediately. Lina's cold eyes glared at the other two buff men who used to be the victim's group.

"Have you two forgotten about my speech? I used to be an ex-assassin," Lina told them.

"Now, die," she told them as she twisted one of the buff men's neck with ease as the body hit the floor a second later.

Before the other two men could respond, she did not give them a chance to take a blow at her. Crack. Another neck twisted, another body on the floor. The fragile man before her was left. He stepped back in fear, reacting from Lina taking a step forward. He was about to turn but she did not give him a chance. She pierced his eyes with her fingers. A loud shrill cry erupted from her last male victim. The sound was only for a second before she hit one of his vital pressure point. Another body fell to the ground but not yet dead. He made choking noises before his whole body went limp a minute later.

This time, Pavi came out the building. He heard a shrill cry, and he ran out to check on his Lina. Instead of seeing Lina in the limousine, she found her standing among four dead bodies. He noticed blood on her fingers. What surprised him the most was the tears Lina was shedding. She looked blankly at him. She had the coldest eyes he had ever seen on her. And he was afraid. He froze more in fear when he saw Angel in the limousine. Pavi cursed the inside of his head at what he assumed had happened. And of course, he was right.

"Bella, listen to me," Pavi pleaded. Lina suddenly ran to him in great speed. Her face close to his as her hand was around his neck.

"You planned my demise?" Lina asked coldly. It was such a foreign sound to Pavi's ears.

"Bella, the Pavi..." Pavi started but Lina interrupted him.

"It is either a yes or no. Now answer," she told him coldly.

"Y-yes, but...!" All of sudden, he felt Lina tighten her hold around his neck, making Pavi's breathing hard.

"Revenge because of denying a fucking face change?" Lina asked. She tilted her head to the side. She looked so crazed to Pavi right now. Is this why she did not want to see her in action?

"N-no. It's much more than that," he tried to say though his breathing started to diminish.

Lina leaned her lips to his ear and whispered, "I want to taste blood."

Pavi shivered before he suddenly felt her hands ease around his neck, allowing him to breathe again. He held his neck and had intakes of breath.

"So why?" Lina asked.

Pavi looked up at her.

"You broke our promise. If you love the Pavi enough, you would make a face change," Pavi told her truthfully.

Tears stained her eyes once again at her empty eyes.

"If you love me enough, you would not force me. But I guess, we never truly loved each other enough or even loved each other at all," she told him sadly.

"But then the Pavi saw, the Pavi saw the bella has loved him enough to endure the pain of her poison to be here. The Pavi is sorry, but he wanted to make things right. The Pavi wanted to stop the plan. Please bella. Please believe me," The Pavi pleaded.

Lina chuckled coldly. She suddenly held his shirt tightly and her other hand clenched into a fist as if ready to punch him.

"How could I?" Lina asked. Her fist had gotten closer to his face and Pavi gasped and was about to close his eyes, ready to get punched.

But before he closed his eyes, he saw Angel with a knife about to strike her from behind. Pavi was about to shout 'watch out'. Lina already turned around and punched Angel in the stomach. She fell over but Lina struck her at the side of the neck. The knife fell from Angel's hands and fell to the floor right after. Instead of her being dead like the others, she was still breathing and was merely unconscious instead.

She turned back around to meet Pavi's awe-struck gaze. He closed his mouth, knowing it was not a good time to show that expression. He was about to plead for his life, but Lina suddenly fell on her knees, coughing. His eyes widened to see the darkest shade of red of blood.

"Bella!" Pavi yelled, crawling to her and held her body. She looked up at him and smiled.

"You've got your revenge, Pavi. You finally destroyed me," Lina told him quietly. Pavi shook his head. He didn't want it this way. At first, he did. But not anymore.

"Bella..." he started but Lina laid a finger to his lips to quiet him.

"It's over, Pavi. Be happy with your life now. You already took my body and my heart. I was being silly, thinking we had a chance," Lina said and chuckled weakly. Pavi shook his head. Tears forming in his eyes. Lina coughed once again using her vacant hand to cover it. More blood poured out. Pavi's lips quivered in fear and sadness. Lina could feel it under her index finger. "At first, I wanted to ask you to promise me to take care of the children and Shilo after my death. But in the end, it is better off if you didn't. It would be too cruel for me to ask you, huh?" She chuckled once again, a lone tear fell from her eyes. "I love you... Pavi. This is our goodbye."

"No, no, no. The bella would be all right. The Pavi shall call the doctor and the bella would be better again," Pavi said in denial, fake cheeriness evident in his voice.

Lina looked at him with a smile. She mouthed something, but Pavi didn't understand. All of a sudden, she coughed and made choking noises. Pavi immediately called the doctor right then. He yelled frantically for a doctor to come to the location. It ended quickly when Lina touched his face with her blood-stained hands. She took one of his hands and kissed his palm and then put it to his lips. She smiled at him one last time. Pavi was speechless, numb even.

She closed her eyes, her hand holding his fell, and her whole body went limp. As it did, Pavi yelled at the top of his lungs and weeped. Her body held close to his in a tight grip.

"Bella, I love you. I love you. I love you. Don't leave me. Please... Lina," he pleaded through his sobs. He finally called out her name with his lips for the first time, and she would never hear it.

It took only a second later for the doctor to come. The helpers were about to pull her body away from him, but he yelled at them to get away. He continued to hold onto her. And this is the first time he felt this much grief for any other woman, not even his mother would make him show this much sadness.

Meanwhile, Mia felt a vibration and a beeping sound from her wrist watch/communicator, a small red flashing light on and off from the beeping while showing Lina's face. Mia's eyes widened in shock and her eyes closed in grief. She immediately pressed the off button before Luigi saw.

On the other side, Shilo was smiling happily to be in Graverobber's arms once again on the couch after a night of watching over the children. Suddenly, like Mia, she felt a vibration and a beeping sound from her wrist communicator, a red flashing light turning on and off with a beeping sound while Lina's face showed as a hologram. Shilo gasped and she started to weep. Graverobber looked at her confused but didn't ask as she sobbed into his shirt, but his silent question was soon answered by Shilo's sudden grief.

"Lina's dead," Shilo answered.

Pavi watched as her body was taken away by the medics after a few attempts made by the helpers. He closed his eyes and remembered the words she was mouthing. He was finally able to decipher it when her body was no longer in his arms.

_My one and only foolish lover_

And once again, he weeped as he held his own body tightly.


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N**: Sorry for the late update. I lost my memory stick with all of my stories in it, and I had to study for exams and such. I finally found my memory stick yesterday and started finishing the chapter. Hope you all like it. Yay, I'm happy at the amount of reviews I had. It made up for last chapter. ^-^. Thanks to **Sombry** (Yeah, well, I actually planned to kill Lina off a lot earlier but decided to wait it out until now. That was the very reason for my summary. Yeah, I wanted Pavi and Luigi to have a brotherly moment before something unexpected happen, which was Lina's death), **Evelyn** (Yeah, I was back and forth who I wanted to kill off, and I just decided to kill her off because she had too much attention and for story-wise reasons, of course), **Flipped-Out-Soldier** (Yeah, I knew it wasn't sad enough, but I just wanted to make it sad enough to an extent. Actually, I like the chapter but I wished I had done it better), **Repogirl1** (no problems, everyone has those days. Yeah, I like Lina, but she had to get killed off for the story), and **Emoen** (Lol, I see someone is sad. It's not going to let up anytime soon, so I hope you save your virtual tears) for the reviews. The highlight couple of this chapter is Luigi and Mia. I felt like banging my head on this chapter because it didn't look right, but I stopped after a few attempts and made this chapter.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Since today was a celebration for Luigi's birthday, Mia hid Lina's death from him. She didn't want to ruin the mood and Lina would be none too happy as well if she was the one that ruined a happy occasion. Even in death, Mia would follow her wishes. They continued the celebration and Luigi had the time of his life with the entertainments done just for him. It was getting late, and the party had been done. At this time, Mia and Luigi were in a limo. Mia's plan was to go home with Luigi and show him her own kind of personal celebration for him, but Luigi wanted to take her somewhere. For a moment, she thought she saw a dark glint in Luigi's eyes. And like Lina, she shrugged it off.

Luigi was humming a song that Mia was vaguely familiar with. It was the same song he had hummed before. She was just a young girl then, and it was two days after Luigi's 20th birthday. On that day, she remembered, something good had happened to him and he was just overall happy. She couldn't help but smile at the memory. That time, she was an introverted young girl. He seemingly had continued to speak with her even when she didn't reply as much. She always wondered why he continued to talk with her after she made him angry a lot of times because she was excessively straight to the point when asked to speak and quiet most of the time when she noticed how easily angered Luigi was.

Luigi noticed the smile on Mia's face. He held a smile of his own when he saw her like this. He knew Mia's mind did not wander easily, but there were times when he got the chance to see her blank out and smile. By the time he thought that, he remembered what he wanted to do to Mia. The point was the plan for Mia's demise was already set, and he was going to take her there as her punishment. At that moment, he felt sick to his stomach. She had planned this exciting party for him, but he would repay her by punishing her. He wanted to stop, change his mind. But in the end, he didn't. He continued his plan, and he was an idiot for it.

"Luigi, there is something I wanted to tell you," Mia said with a small smile on her face. Luigi stared at her and nodded for her to continue. He would think about the consequences of his actions later.

"Do you remember a young girl you met on your 20th birthday? You continued to chat with her, and she would mostly listen quietly. You sometimes get angered when she didn't talk yet still get angered when she gave you simple answers," Mia said.

Luigi's eyes widened. Of course, he remembered. She was always the person he would talk (mostly complain) to. She was the only one who he didn't try to kill though he wanted to plenty of times. It angered him when she just suddenly didn't appear at GeneCo anymore. He thought she would come back in a few days, but she never did after that day. He wondered how Mia knew about the girl. All of a sudden, his mind clicked. He put the pieces together in his head, and he stared at her in shock. His jaw dropped after he figured it out.

"Yes, that little girl was me," Mia confessed, slightly blushing.

"Wh-what?" Luigi yelled while his eyes are still wide in surprise. Mia sighed, knowing that he would act this way. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"Just thought it was irrelevant," she answered simply. Luigi crossed his arms and looked at her with an angry expression.

"Can't believe you two are the same person. I knew you looked like her, but I didn't know you are her," he said aggravatedly, "How come you stopped coming to GeneCo?"

Mia frowned and shook her head, "I'm not ready to tell you."

Luigi watched her carefully and shrugged it away.

"Hm, it seems the limo has stopped," Mia said as she looked out to see an old run-down building. Mia had a bad feeling about it, but she trusted Luigi. She had hoped he would see it as well.

Luigi froze as she said so. His heart thumped painfully hard against his chest as if telling him to take her home. To leave. But being Luigi, he would not listen. He looked over at his lover. She was smiling gently at him, and it made the feeling worse. The guilt was going to consume him, but he didn't care. He had to teach her a lesson.

He smiled fakely in return. Mia held her breath, noticing the fake smile on his face. It was then she knew he had planned her demise. She could have run and left, but she didn't. Whatever he planned, she was going to endure it. For him. And in a way, she had still held onto a small hope that he would change his mind. If not, she will think of it later.

"Well, let's go," Luigi said, a little hesitantly.

Mia put a smile on and nodded. He held out his arm to take, and she took it. Both did not run away towards the destination. It was then he stood in front of the abandoned building with her by his side. Mia pretended to look at him with a confused expression. Luigi felt his conscious yelling him to stop before it is too late. Once again, he did not listen.

"Why are we here?" Mia asked.

"I want to give you a surprise for the party you planned for me," Luigi lied.

Mia's smile faltered and she looked at him sadly. Luigi's breath stopped and wondered if she knew about his plan, but he did not show it in his expression.

"You did not need to do that. I did it for you, Luigi," Mia told him, hugging him tightly against her as if it were the last. Luigi held onto her with as much intensity. She held in her tears, not letting them fall. Their love would be over as she enters the building. There was no other way out of it, and she would not allow herself to betray him again. She was just as foolish as Lina. For love. It seemed love does really kill.

"I love you, Luigi. I hope you know that," Mia whispered. Luigi nodded his head, his voice not allowing him to speak because of his betrayal.

She slowly let go of him and smiled at him, looking directly into his eyes. Her eyes no longer filled with tears by then. She had made sure she composed herself before letting him go. Luigi gulped right then and wondered if his lover noticed the guilt ridden feeling he had. His stomach still churning as if punishing him. He then suddenly attacked her lips with his own. Mia could feel the intensity in the kiss as she returned it with just as much passion.

It wasn't long before they let go of each other and they breathed heavily at the passionate kiss. Mia smiled and started to fix her hair from Luigi's hands going through it with her doing the same to him. She giggled at how messy his hair looked and started fixing it. They were taking their time from entering the building as much as they could. But of course, the time finally came seconds later after Mia finished fixing Luigi's hair.

She turned to the door and placed her hand on the handle. Luigi suddenly reached and stopped her from opening the door. He couldn't do it. He was second guessing himself. Mia looked at him in confusion.

"Luigi, what is it? Is there something wrong?" Mia asked worriedly. Momentarily, she was happy Luigi was trying to stop her. And of course, that little small hope she held onto started to slowly become bigger.

"N-nothing is wrong. Psh, everything is going right," Luigi said, almost too nervously. He gulped again, and then he was reminded by his devilish side to stop being weak. To punish her like he should. He scoffed inwardly at that side before he let his hand slide away from hers. "Ah, I need to do something. Why don't you go inside first and wait for me?"

Mia's breath once again hitched and her hope faded away immediately. She gave him a sad smile and nodded. She gave him a quick kiss on the lips.

"I understand," she said simply before she opened the door and went inside slowly. Suddenly, the door closed behind her and was locked. She looked towards the building and saw many men surrounding the area, their eyes full of lust. Tears streaked down Mia's eyes and she closed her eyes to accept her punishment.

Luigi stared at the door. His heart beated sporatically. He had locked the door right when she was fully inside. There was no turning back now, but the feeling of guilt never left him. His hands rummaged through his hair, and he couldn't help but feel sick at himself. Suddenly, he had a call from his brother.

"B-brother," Pavi's voice said weakly. Luigi stared at his communicator and wondered if something had gone wrong with him and Lina.

"What is it? I'm busy," Luigi answered with a scowl.

"M-my bella... she's... she's dead," Pavi answered in anguish.

Luigi could hear him crying afterwards. He was shocked and couldn't believe his ears. The crazy woman that his brother is in love with is dead. He didn't know what to say, and then his whole body froze. What was he going to tell Mia? For her to know about Lina's death after she was punished, she would be more broken than she would already be after this.

"Brother? Brother?" Pavi's voice rings in his ears, waking Luigi from his thoughts.

"What?" Luigi yelled with a hint of annoyance in his voice. He growled at himself for making that tone after his brother lost his loved one.

"Where is your bella? The Pavi wants to break the bad news to her. The Pavi wants only her to take care of the bella's body," Pavi said in between his sniffling. Luigi felt like a thousand rocks crushing him down at Pavi's request.

"Sh-she's busy," Luigi answered. He looked to the door, and he couldn't help but close his eyes at it. A flash of Mia's cold eyes suddenly stared at him, and he immediately opened his eyes and cringed. They almost looked dead to him that he hated himself even more.

"Then... Pavi will call back later then. Have a good evening, brother," Pavi whispered and the call ended.

Luigi stared blankly at his communicator. His head had been screaming at him the whole time that he was pathetic excuse of a man for making Mia go through such an ordeal. He tried to reason with his head that it was only to teach her a lesson for what she made him go through. His heart argued in return that he was foolish and that he was losing the only good thing in his life.

He scoffed at that. It was then he realized forty-five minutes passed. He glared at the time before he closed his eyes and sighed. He couldn't help but bang the back of his head against the building. It was then his temper slowly rose. He got up and growled angrily. He suddenly slammed his fist against the building. He could feel the burning pain on his knuckles and just laughed maniacally.

"What the fuck is wrong with me?" Luigi yelled.

He shook his head and glared at the door. He let out a heavy sigh and put his hand on the knob and turned it to open the door. He could hear the hooting and grunts and groans from the men he hired. He growled at the sound. He saw the group of men surrounding one area. Without waiting, he shouted at them to stop. The men turned their heads to his voice. Everyone stopped.

Luigi growled in distaste before making his way into the crowd of men. He stopped right at the center of attention. Mia laid on a wooden table, naked. She was bruised and battered that he was disgusted with himself even more. There was also some sort of sticky liquid covering her. She stared at him in contempt when she recognized him. There was no more kindness in her eyes that he so loved. Luigi gulped and signaled the men to leave. They all stood still, not moving. He glared at them and took out his knife.

"Leave!" He yelled. This, of course, made the men scurry out of the building. He then turned back to Mia, and he stared at her guilitily. It was then she wiped the liquid covering her lips with her arms.

"So this is my punishment?" Mia asked, her voice was cold and no longer warm. She was reverting back into the person she once was. Luigi tried to speak, but his voice did not come out. He could only nod. She chuckled coldly in reply. Tears formed in her eyes and jumped off the table. She looked downwards to her left. He followed her eyes and saw the red dress she once wore torn into pieces as well as her underwear.

"I- You deserved it," Luigi answered, but he felt disgusted with himself. He wanted to apologize but the words left his mouth before he could think of how to apologize.

Mia clearly glared at him. Luigi flinched at the look. She had never given him such a look before. It made his throat suddenly dry. He looked to the floor, unable to look her in the eye.

"I see," she merely said. She picked up a knife on the ground, left by one of the men who raped her countlessly. "I can finally tell you why I never returned to GeneCo that day."

Luigi looked up at her. He saw her playing with the knife. Her fingers traced the knife's blade as if it was interesting. He could feel himself being nervous when he watched her. Mia may have been cold before, but he had never seen her look more unreachable than she is now.

"My aunt never liked me from the very beginning. When my real parents died, she took this chance to sell me for extra money. She was paid a good sum of money by the buyer. In the end, I was used as a child sex slave. I have been raped countless of times by my master and his companions. It is that very reason I hate men who raped children. You also punished me in the worst way possible," Mia explained. It was then pricked her finger at the tip of the knife. Blood oozed out of her finger, but she did not flinch.

"Mia, I-" Luigi started. Mia glared at him in disgust.

"Do not call me with such familiarity after what you have made me go through. I knew you would punish me for breaking our relationship with you, but I never thought you would be so cruel. I already knew the punishment was coming right when I saw the building and how it seemed abandoned. I allowed myself to go with the trap you set for me, but I never thought you would allow these men to brutally rape me," she continued coldly, "You punished me with something I can never forgive you for."

She then took the knife as if she was ready to attack. He was about to protect himself but his eyes widened at what he did not expect her to do. She plunged the knife on her left arm, and she had done so two more times. The blood started to drip from her arm and the knife. Luigi stared in shock, not knowing what to do or say.

"With this blood, you and I are over, and I am now your enemy," Mia said flatly, "Happy Birthday, Luigi Largo."

She dropped the knife near his feet before setting off to get her communicator and turned it on. Luigi simply watched her movements.

"Pierre, I need a ride, and bring me some clothes," Mia ordered with her monotone voice, "It's for me. Yeah. I need a place to stay for the night, and I don't want to bother Shilo. Yes, that would do. And one more thing, I need to discuss something of utmost importance to you, so we need to speak privately."

She ended the call after that. She looked over at Luigi's frozen form. She glared at him momentarily before setting off to wait outside in her naked form. She didn't seem to care of the cold night or even care if the limo driver saw her.

Luigi looked down at the bloodied knife on the ground with his lover's blood. He held up the knife and touched the blood. He closed his eyes and there was a pang of hurt and guilt in his heart. He felt a void in his stomach. He had never felt something like this before. He couldn't let it end like this. He ran out the door and searched for her. He saw her standing out near the open road. He ran to her and held onto her hand. Mia glared at him for having the audacity to touch her after what he had done to her though it was also her fault as well for entering the building knowing that something bad would happen. She gracefully took her hand out of his hold. Luigi was none too happy about it but said nothing.

"I- Pavi called me, and he said Lina is dead," Luigi said, though he cursed at himself for saying the wrong thing. He wanted to admit he was sorry, but he just couldn't. "He wants you to do the autopsy."

Mia stood still. Her whole body became frigid. Luigi wanted to comfort her, and he almost held her in an embrace. She stopped him before he could as she turned to him with her cold expression.

"Tell him I will be there later," she told him. She turned away from him and saw a car speeding through and stopping in front of her.

The door opened from the driver's side to reveal Pierre. He had clothes ready in his arms and handed them to Mia. He covered her. Mia gave one last glance at Luigi. This time she held a hurt look towards Luigi. Luigi was quick enough to catch it, and he instantly regretted it. He felt like he was drowning as he saw her go inside the car. Pierre glanced at Luigi and glared at him in disgust. Luigi didn't catch the look since his eyes were set on Mia. Pierre hurried inside the car and drove off, disappearing down the road.

Suddenly, Luigi Largo found himself feeling alone though the only other person present was the limo driver. He still had the knife with Mia's blood on it in his other hand. He chuckled, but there was no humor in it and only pain seemed to seep through.

He went home an hour later after he had a few drinks before coming home. He had set the bloodied knife on his nightstand. He was ready to sleep on his bed, but he found two presents on his bed. One was a slim square box and the other was a slim rectangular-shaped one and also smaller. He opened the slim square box and opened to reveal a note on top of some sort of clothing. He picked it up and found it was a revealing one-piece lingerie. He was beyond shocked. Immediately, he picked up the note and read it.

_This is my personal celebration for you, Luigi. Today is all about you, and I want to share the passion we have for each other in our bed. _

_Mia_

Luigi felt his heart thrumming against his chest. He let the note fall from his hand and picked up the lingerie once again. He held it tightly against him. He is foolish. An idiot. Just like his father stated, he is a vulture.

He then looked to the other box. He opened the rectangle-shaped. There, revealed a knife. The sheath was black and his first name was spelled out in red rubies. He opened it, and the blade glistened into the light. He returned the knife into its sheath. He saw another note inside the box as well. He picked it up, opened it, and read it.

_My gift to you on your birthday, my Luigi. You have stabbed my heart with your love, so this knife represents our love. And if I had not told you yet, our first meeting started with you saving me with a stab of your knife. Happy Birthday, Love._

_Mia_

Tears fell from Luigi's eyes as he looked at the two presents he had gotten from her. No one had loved him enough to make him happy to this degree, but he had ended it with his own hand.

Meanwhile, Pavi stared at Lina's lifeless body on the cold metal table. He did not allow anyone to give her an autopsy except Mia herself. For a moment, he thought Lina would just suddenly sit up and yell 'surprise' at him. He wished it were so, but reality hit him quickly when he touched her cold hand. He felt sick to the stomach just staring at her cold and black lips.

Tears suddenly welled up inside his eyes as their memories together started to replay in his mind. He tried to quickly shake the memories away, but they were unyielding. Tears finally fell on her body. He shook his head and wiped them away from the back of his hand and started to rub the tear stains off from Lina's body.

"Bella, you are perfect to the Pavi. Pavi no longer wants you to change, so please come back to the Pavi," he begged.

"But I know the bella will never be able to," he said, accepting her death, "So bella, please let the Pavi show how perfect you are."

He smiled sadly at her unmoving body. He started to take off his belt holding his pants up. His pants fell and he started to climb on top of her body.

After forty-five minutes, Pavi panted heavily as he put his underwear back on. He smiled and kissed Lina's forehead and then her black-colored lips. He got off of her and wore his pants and put on his belt again. He let out a satisfied sigh when he finished. He looked to a sticky substance near her private area and grinned.

"The Pavi fits perfectly inside you, my bella. We are perfect together, bella," Pavi said ever so softly as he brushed his fingers in Lina's hair.

The door to the autopsy room was open. Mia came through with a cold expression. The first thing she saw was the loving look Pavi was giving to Lina's dead body. When she got closer to give an outward inspection, she noticed the black lips and a sticky substance that seemed to be near her private area. Her eyes widened and looked over at Pavi angrily.

"How dare you defile Lina's body while she's dead!" Mia angrily yelled at him, pulling him away from Lina's body. Pavi looked at her in horror, not by her yelling at him but by the statement she made.

"The Pavi did not defile her body! The Pavi wanted to show the bella how perfectly she fits with the Pavi," he argued. He wanted to get close to her body, but Mia did not allow him.

"You wanted me to make an autopsy on her, so leave," she told him darkly. Pavi stared at her in disbelief.

"You cannot stop the Pavi from being with the bella!"

"You let her die."

Pavi froze at Mia's statement. He felt his heart ache from the guilt and pain that he himself caused. It was enough for Pavi to run away from the room. Pavi is a foolish man. An idiot. And like his father said, he is a vulture just like his brother.

Mia sighed when he disappeared. She looked over at Lina's body sadly. She wanted to cry for her friend, but she no longer had the tears to let it out. After her ordeal, she was empty of her tears. She brushed Lina's hair with her fingers and looked at her.

"From the look of your black lips, you died from poison. Did you overdo it and died? I am a doctor that saves lives not someone who finds out answers of a dead body. Even if I have experience in this field, I do not have the heart to make an autopsy on you. Lina, you say I'm a genius, but I'm not. I allowed myself to enter a trap and suffered by my ex-lover's cruelty. If it was any other punishment, I would have forgiven him, but he did one thing I hated the most. I am no genius, just a fool. Even angels fall from grace. Perfection can be flawed," Mia said to Lina's body. She did not notice a man behind her. When she saw a shadow, it was too late. She had been hit from behind her head and she fell to the floor.

The man saw Lina's body and smirked. He covered her with a trashbag and carried Lina's body on his shoulder. He looked to the hallways to make sure no one saw them and left.


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N**: Yes, I finally finished chapter. Yes, it's been a week since I last updated. And yes, this is the nine month anniversary for the making of the sequel. P.S. I made a random Christmas extra. Yeah, it was just random and everything. It was not supposed to make sense. I was in a festive mood, so I made it. Hope you all like it. Most of you would have a questionable look on their faces from what was read. I know since I made that face myself, lol. Thanks to **Flipped-Out-Soldier** (Well, the shadow would not be in this chapter. It is mostly an emotional moment), **MotherGothelFan1** (Sadly, there's more, so yeah. You might have more tears later on), **repogirl1** (Thanks. As foolish as they are, I feel a little bad for them), **Evelyn** (Yeah, it is a little depressing. At least in Lina's death, emotions are finally coming out), and **Emoen** (Lol, yeah. My story writes on its own. But then again, I planned Lina's death and Mia's punishment from the start. Now, everyone will see the reason to Mia's cold behavior) for the reviews. **Disclaimer**: I do not own Repo! The Genetic Opera or the original characters of the show. I also do not own Popeye (the cartoon). They are owned by each of their respective owners. Happy Holidays everyone! Hope everyone enjoys the season and festivities. And please, stay safe.

Chapter Thirty

Luigi and Pavi started arguing after one of the Genterns found Mia lying on the ground in the autopsy room. Luigi was surprised when he found out about the news. When he saw the blood crust on Mia's head belonging to her, he found himself angry and wanted to find out the perpetrator. He went through the security cameras and found a suspicious man carrying Lina's body. He disguised himself as a garbage man who took up the body to be thrown in the dumps like the rest of the bodies.

"My bella's body has been kidnapped, and you tell me to calm down?" Pavi yelled angrily. When he heard that Mia laid unconscious and Lina's body was nowhere to be found, Pavi had exploded. He even yelled at Mia's unconscious body to wake up, so she could tell him what had happened. But of course, Luigi was there when he found the news, and he angrily told Pavi to shut up and leave Mia alone.

It had been three days since Mia stayed unconscious in one of the recovering rooms of GeneCo. Luigi always visited her. He skipped breakfast to visit her in the morning. He felt empty every time he woke up to not see her sleeping beside him. He missed the way she would wake up soon after him and smile sweetly towards him. He missed the morning kisses and their morning lay. He missed holding her against him. Most of all, he missed her warm touches as her fingers trail his face.

When he had woken up to see Mia not there beside him, he felt as empty as the empty spot next to him. As he entered his bathroom, he saw the two toothbrushes in the cup. One belonged to him, and the other belonged to Mia. He picked up the purple toothbrush that belonged to Mia's. He sighed and put it back into the cup. He took his and started to put on the toothpaste and started brushing. He looked in the mirror. For a moment, he thought he saw Mia beside him, but she disappeared as soon as she came. He thought he was going insane, even though he already was. He sighed and continued brushing his teeth.

Pavi woke up from his rest. He was never used to waking up without Lina's scent. Instead, he could smell some sort of strong perfume invading his nose. When he stretched his arm, he felt a warm body; he immediately sat up and thought it was Lina sleeping beside him. Unfortunately, it was some Gentern with brunette hair, nothing like his bella's. Though her skin was flawless, he missed seeing Lina and her flaws. He felt disgusted with himself for sleeping with other women after her death. But him being Pavi, he needed to be intimate. He imagined Lina yelling at him, and he couldn't help but smile. As soon as it came though, it disappeared after he was reminded that Lina was dead and her body has been snatched.

He felt anger pulsating within him. He wanted to find the perpetrator. His brother told him that the survelliance caught a garbage man carrying a body out of the autopsy room. Nobody knew who he was or where he came from. He was never seen since that day. Pavi wanted his Lina back. He wanted to see her, but he knew it would do no good. Even in his dreams, Lina would disappear within his grasp. And it hurts him. Straight to his heart. Like a thousand needles pricked it. And so, his day begins once more.

Nothing felt right anymore, not to Pavi and not to Luigi. Pavi and Luigi would go to the dining table for breakfast, but both did not have the hunger to eat. They would nibble a few pieces of whatever was on their plate before they dragged themselves to do something. Anything. And they did.

Pavi checked out the Genterns, especially brunettes with long hair and who wore it into a ponytail like Lina's. He wanted a woman with similar hair texture and shade as his bella, and he made sure the woman's hair wasn't artificial or dyed either. His bella was not artificial, so it was right not to find someone who is artificial. Sadly, he did not find anyone with all the descriptions especially being unartificial. He sighed deeply and sat on the chair just outside Mia's hospital room. He looked up to the ceiling and found himself quite interested in the blinding light. And there, he imagined his bella smiling at him. He was shocked at first, but he started to reach for her face without realizing he had done so. And as he started to stretched his arm, he knew he couldn't reach her like this, so he started to slowly get up from the chair. Just as he reached far enough, Lina's face disappeared. Pavi froze just for a second before he jumped off and yelled out her name. He looked around for her frantically. His whole body shivered as tears threatened to fall from his eyes. He held his body tightly and slowly squatted down. His head lowered in anguish as he rocked himself back and forth.

"Come back to me, mia bella. Come back," Pavi whispered.

Luigi was inside Mia's hospital room. After he had his breakfast, he immediately walked to Mia's room. He would softly brush her hair with her fingers. He sometimes trailed his fingers on the bruises on her face she had from the events inside the old building. He then saw the wound on Mia's arm that she pierced with a knife. He still had the knife on his nightstand with her blood already turning brown. Luigi made it his responsibility to stretch her body, so it would not become stiff when Mia wakes up. He also took up in cleaning Mia's unconscious body though he would be gentle on her bruises and extra careful to clean her private area. He would always wince when he got near the certain area because he remembered what she said and what he allowed those men to do to her. The punishment he had given her wasn't worth it, and he knew it was too late to think that. What was done, was done and could not be erased.

"Mia, I'm sorry," Luigi whispered. He had apologized every day like this to her unconscious form, and he knew she would not hear or even forgive him. He also knew the only reason he was capable to apologize to her was because she was not conscious enough to hear his apologies. He wasn't man enough to do it when she woke up from her slumber. He knew that, and he hated himself even more for it.

After he finished stretching and cleaning her, he took his usual nap beside her as he held onto her hand. He felt comfort at holding her hand like this. And with that, he yawned and laid his head next to Mia's form. His eyes slowly closed and let sleep overtake him. A few seconds later he jumped off the chair from his brother yelling Lina's name. His heartbeat quickened at the scare though he was able to make his heart rate beat normal again. He looked over at Mia and gave her a quick kiss on her forehead before he reluctantly let go of her hand. He stopped when he was in front of the door and took one glance at Mia before ripping the door open and he walked out while he closed the door gently unlike when he opened it.

Luigi looked to his right to see his brother's body rocking back and forth while his whole body shook. His brows creased in confusion and worry before walking up to his brother. He put a hand on his shoulder until Pavi's head shot up to look up at him while Pavi held onto the hand on his shoulder.

"Bella?" Pavi shouted, thinking it was Lina when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He was momentarily happy but saw that it was only his brother. His happiness faded away quickly and only pain was evident on Pavi's expression.

"Pavi, she's dead. Get over it. Her dead body isn't going to return to you until we find who the culprit is and where he hid her body," Luigi said in a gentle tone. Though the words were harsh, it was Luigi's way of being comforting. But of course, Pavi did not feel comforted and only glared at his brother.

"You do not know how it feels to lose your lover to death! Your slut is alive while the Pavi's isn't!" Pavi yelled angrily.

Luigi glared at him when he spoke ill of Mia. He immediately pulled Pavi up by his collar, but Pavi wrenched himself out of his grasp. The two looked at each other as if ready to have a fist fight.

"You bastard, how dare you call Mia a slut! She isn't one and you know it, you fucker. Look yourself in the mirror, Pavi. It's your fault she's dead!" Luigi retorted in return.

Pavi gasped. Though true it was, Pavi did not want to accept it because it hurts him too much. He immediately turn his shock into pure anger. And with that, he punched Luigi on the side of his face. It was the first punch that Pavi made and it was quite a punch. Even though his fist hurt, Pavi felt good from it for some reason. Luigi glared and growled at Pavi. He wiped the blood coming from his mouth with the back of his hand, and then lunged at Pavi with a punch of his own on Pavi's stomach. He would have hit Pavi on the face, but he knew Pavi loved his face. Right now, though, Pavi didn't care about his face or even pay attention to Luigi being lenient on him (hence not hitting Pavi's face). They continued their fist fight until they both breathed heavily and the pain was too much for both to bear.

The brothers looked at each other and they both laughed at how badly they looked. It was a brotherly moment, but it was enough to comfort both of them. They understood each other's pain, and both knew it was their own fault for the outcome of losing both of their lovers. No one is to blame except themselves.

Their brotherly moment was soon interrupted by the clicking of heels walking towards them. Luigi huffed angrily and Pavi sighed in annoyance as they knew full well whose heels they belonged to. They looked towards the sound to see their sister, Amber Sweet, making her way towards them.

"Fuck, what does she want?" Luigi whispered in irritation to Pavi. Pavi merely shrugged and did not say a word.

"What the fuck happened to you guys?" Amber Sweet asked, giving them a disgusted and disapproving look at their disheveled appearances.

"None of your fuckin' business, Amber!" Luigi shouted in irritation. Amber Sweet rolled her eyes and looked over at Pavi.

"How are you doing about that what's her face's death and her body being taken?" Amber Sweet questioned though she did not have an ounce of care in her tone and actions.

Pavi frowned, unhappy that his sister would just take his pain lightly. He also felt irritated at how demeaning she sounded for not knowing his bella's name. By now, Amber Sweet should have realized Lina was different from all the other women he has been with.

"I'm a little interested to know something, Pavi," Amber Sweet started, not looking up from her nails, "Why didn't you steal her face like all the others?" This time, she looked up to look at Pavi.

Pavi glared at his little sister. He wished she would just be quiet. He loved his sister, really, but this was not one of the times he favored her. She did not know the extent the love he has for Lina. She would never know how much his heart is torn for what he did and losing the only woman who seemed to be the one consuming his heart. His sister was oblivious of the fact that the one who changed him was the woman that she called 'what's her face'.

"The bella's name is Lina Masters, sister. The Pavi doesn't take her face because the bella looks beautiful the way she is. So please sister, do not speak any further of the matter," Pavi informed his sister. Amber Sweet shrugged, still uncaring. This made Pavi hold his tongue from lashing out at her. Unlike Luigi, Amber Sweet had all the power in GeneCo, and he did not want to get into her bad side because she is more unpredictable than Luigi and him.

"Whatever. You didn't steal her face because she isn't beautiful enough. I'm sure she's another woman to you, anyways. You'll get used to her not being around like all the other women you've been with." Amber Sweet once again made another unnecessary comment. Luigi growled and glared at her cold-hearted words. Pavi stared in shock before he clutched his hands into fists as to prevent his anger from lashing out to his sister. Their sister was truly an uncaring B-I-T-C-H.

"Other than being fucking _sentimental_ and all," Luigi said sarcastically, "What else do you fuckin' want?"

Amber Sweet sighed and looked to the two back and forth.

"We will be having a meeting about GeneStein in a month, so you two need to be prepared and not get distracted," Amber Sweet told them. She sighed when her communicator had reminded her of her business activities. She said a curt goodbye to her brothers and left.

The brothers sighed in relief when their sister's presence left them. They looked at each other for a moment before they both stood up. Only quiet awkwardness was left between the two.

"The Pavi shall go now," Pavi told his brother. Luigi nodded, rubbing the back of his neck since he had nothing else to say. Pavi took this chance to leave, and he set out to look for someone similar to Lina in the streets.

Luigi watched his brother and shook his head. He then remembered Mia and went inside. She was still sleeping peacefully, and he sighed. He sat beside her bed, and he started to sing an Italian lullaby to her.

Shilo was surprised to hear news from Luigi that Lina's body has been snatched from autopsy the same day she died. And of course, Shilo was angry. Not only did Lina die, but someone was disgusting enough to take Lina's body and made Mia unconscious. Mia had been in a coma for three days now. But what took the most energy from her was that she had to tell the children the bad news.

The children gasped, and almost all the children cried except for Animal, Hero, and Nate. Nate couldn't cry because he was frozen in shock. It was too hard for him to take it in his head. Animal and Hero had no tears in their eyes as their rough upbringing as assassins prevented them to cry. They could only visibly express their sadness with a frown. Arielle didn't know much about Lina or was even close to her, but she couldn't help but shed tears when everyone else was crying.

Emma held onto Nate, holding him tightly with her tears still falling from her eyes. Nate finally awoke from his stupor when he felt Emma's warmth, and tears finally were shed from his eyes. Hero hugged little Amy when he noticed her small form was shivering.

Shilo watched them sadly and she closed her eyes in anguish. Nothing hurts more to her than to lose another person she cared about. She had experienced loss before, but nobody could get used to it, not even her. She felt like she was a jinx. She lost her mother, her father, and Blind Mag. Now, she lost one of her closest friends.

Her only saving grace was Graverobber. He held her and supported through this since three days ago after Shilo and he found out about Lina's death. And of course, Graverobber was rather surprised at how Shilo knew Lina was dead. He was curious about it, but he didn't try to pry at Shilo's weakest moment. And not only that, he was surprised to know Mia was hit from behind. She didn't seem to be the kind to be careless unless something must have took her attention away from her surroundings. And in the end, Graverobber thought it was Lina's death that dulled Mia's senses. But it was much more than that. So much more.

Three days turned into a week since Mia's coma. Luigi wasn't able to handle it well. He hated to watch as a Gentern would feed her through the tube. He hated how weak his own bella looked. He hated how much he was not able to catch the culprit. The sneaky bastard was very clever not to come out in the open.

Pavi was in a much more terrible state than Luigi. He would always come out at night to look up at the stars. He remembered about Lina's story where a person becomes a star. He continued to search for Lina's star, hoping and pleading to find it. He wondered if Lina was hiding her star from him. He cried out to the night sky towards her to forgive him. To shine her star to let him know if she forgives him. He found none. His pleading was left unanswered. Nothing hurt more than watching Pavi in tears and begging for the sky to give his Lina to him. To return to him. To return the happiness he had with her. He wanted it all back. He even bargained to become a good man as long as Lina was by his side. Soon the pleading became anger. He shouted that it was unfair. That it was Lina's fault things didn't work out, and Lina should show up to face him. He was not the one who didn't love her enough. It was not his fault she died. It was true it wasn't, but he started to find himself going down and down in the depths of darkness.

"Take me with you, bella! Take me with you!" Pavi cried out, pleading once more. "Where are you, bella? I want to see you. Stop hiding. The Pavi is sorry. The Pavi is truly sorry. Come back. Pavi will be good. Please bella!"

He fell to his knees and he covered his face as tears fell from his closed eyelids. There was no Lina there to comfort him or to tell him it will be okay. He realized then that there was no more happy moments he would spend with her. He would not be able to take her to the amusement park and watch her excitement. There was no more warmth that he would receive in return. There was no more Lina to take his pain away.

* * *

><p><strong>Christmas Special Extra<strong>

"So you're telling us you guys put Santa Claus on your hit list?" Lina asked, her eyebrow quirked upwards in question towards the two Largo brothers.

"Well, he did just break in and trespassed into our building without giving us anything," Luigi justified. Shilo and Lina looked at him incredulously.

"Well, they just ruined Christmas for us," Lina said with a sigh. Mia rolled her eyes.

"Do you really think Father Christmas would come to Sanitarium Island full of sinners?" Mia asked, looking at the crowd with a skeptical look.

The crowd of grown-ups looked among each other and nodded in agreement at Mia's statement.

The grown-ups consisted of Shilo Wallace, Graverobber, Lina Masters, Mia Silver, Luigi Largo, and his brother, Pavi Largo. They were decorating the Wallace household and the Christmas tree with Christmas lights and other decorations while they spoke about Christmas. The Largo brothers were currently telling a story of how Santa Clause broke into the building. Though nothing was taken, the brothers were angry about not receiving the gifts. The only reason they thought it was Santa Claus was because they were able to capture him on the survelliance camera with his famous clothing containing red and white with his red sack being held over his shoulder. Santa Claus was looking through his list, but he shook his head at the list and left the building without another look.

The girls did not believe them, and Graverobber was the kind to believe things in the supernatural so he thought the Largo brothers could be telling the truth. It was until Mia made the statement that the men and women seemed to agree the Santa Claus the Largo brothers were talking about could be a fake.

"Well, I guess we have to find our own Santa Claus, so which of you guys are up for it?" Lina asked, a wide mischievous smirk came across her lips. Lina looked over at Pavi first. He noticed her stare and shook his head hurriedly.

"The Pavi is too beautiful to be that of Santa Claus, and Santa Claus has no fashion sense," Pavi said.

The girls and Pavi then look over at Luigi. He scowled and folded his arms across his chest.

"Do you think I fucking have the patience to be nice?" Luigi questioned. Everyone agreed at his comment, and Luigi growled when nobody seemed to object against it.

It was then all eyes were set upon Graverobber. He shrugged, not minding. It was then the grown-ups started planning the surprise for the children.

The decorations for the house were done and the tree looked great. It was going to be bothersome for them to take down, but it was worth the beauty.

"Turn on the lights!" Shilo yelled to the guys. The lights were turned on and beautiful version of Christmas Wonderland was made. Red and green lights on the roof were blinking. There was Santa Claus made up of red and yellow with his sleigh only being red. His hand was moving, making a waving motion as if welcoming anyone to come by. There was a Christmas tree made up of lights, shining green. Another is a gingerbread man with a big shining red smile on its face while his legs and arms are spread.

Shilo stared in awe. It looked perfect. The children would love these Christmas lights display. It was then Shilo told them to shut it off that the lights went off. Shilo and Mia went inside after they saw the lights worked. Meanwhile, Lina and Pavi were watching over the children.

The children were lined in the order from front to back with two lines made side by side. From the left, Emma, Amy, Animal, and Arielle were on one side. From the right, Nate, Hero, Tom, Ryan, and Jake came in that order. It was a rather random line-up but it did the trick. Nate and Emma would chat with each other. Hero and Amy would hook their arms, so they wouldn't let go of each other. Tom and Animal kept quiet towards each other since they seemed to dislike each other. Ryan and Arielle didn't seemed to mind walking by each other. They neither like or dislike each other. Lastly, Ryan was by himself but he had Lina holding his hand as they walked with Pavi on her other side. Sometimes, Pavi's hand would accidentally brush hers, and he liked the feeling. Lina did not take notice because all of her attention were on the children.

The reason why they were walking around was because they didn't want to let the children see the Christmas lights display just yet. Thus, they were taking a stroll.

Sadly, the quiet stroll would turn out to be a sudden ambush. Random pickpockets containing three men with knives in their hands. Lina sighed and looked over at the children. When Lina saw Animal and Hero ready to attack, she told them to yield. They stared at her, but she looked over at them seriously. They sighed and let their hands fall from touching their weapons.

"Give me all of your money," said one of the pickpockets. Lina smiled michievously at them.

"Children close your eyes and make a wish," Lina told them. The children turned to stare at her, but she winked at them as if telling them to listen to her. Animal, Nate, and Hero weren't stupid and realized what she was about to do, so they closed their eyes first. The children followed their actions and closed their eyes. Lina smiled.

"I will count to five, and you all must make a wish," Lina told the children. The children nodded while Pavi stared at Lina with confusion. They were being attacked by pickpockets and the children and Lina seemed calm about it. Pavi wondered what went through their heads.

Lina saw his expression, and she put her finger to his lips as if signaling him to not say a word. She winked at him with an added effect.

"5," Lina started. Not long after, she walked up to the pickpockets. They looked at her confused.

"4."

Lina smiled before she suddenly put one of the pickpocket's arm behind him before she kneed him from the back of their leg, causing him to fall on one knee. The guy howled.

"No peeking," Lina warned without looking. Ryan and Jake were about to peek but stopped themselves when she said so.

She then slammed the side of her hand against the pickpocket's neck and he fell over and went unconscious.

"3."

The other two pickpockets were surprised at the sudden attack. They looked at each other before they suddenly attacked at the same time. Lina rolled her eyes. She did a back kick, hitting one of the guy's neck while she thrusted her palm upwards hitting the other guy under his jaw. He almost bit his tongue when she did so. They both fell over in pain.

"2."

One of them was smart enough to run away but the other one was stupid enough to try to attack one of the children. Lina was none too happy. Being an idiot, he chose the wrong one to attack. He took Amy. Amy yelped, and it was then Hero immediately opened his eyes when Amy's arm was not hooked with his. He glared at the pickpocket, which seemed to make the guy shiver in his pants. He had his knife against Amy's neck, which made Hero flare even more. And without another word, Hero attacked him in that instant. The attack was so sudden that the pickpocket fell to the floor, letting go of Amy. She was about to fall but Hero caught her in his arms and hugging her tight against him. All the while, not once, did Amy open her eyes.

Lina smirked. He patted Hero's head for a job well done, but he grunted in reply. Lina whispered in his ear to continue to close his eyes. He did so, and she continued to smile.

"1. Now, make a wish," Lina told them while she dragged the three pickpockets and throwing them to the side before the children opened their eyes from making a wish.

When they made their wish finished, the children opened their eyes. They look to the left and see the three men piled on top of each other and then looked over to the grown-ups for answers except for Hero who was staring at Amy and who was still in his arms. They were merely greeted by a smiling Lina and a shocked Pavi. They shrugged their shoulders as if it was an everyday ocurrence. Only Amy looked confused as to why Hero was carrying her, but she was not curious for long when Lina had a call from Shilo.

"Well, children, let's go home," Lina said happily. The children nodded and went on their way back to the van to go home. Only Pavi continued to have a shocked face at what had just ocurred.

The children filed in one by one into the house. Just as Pavi and Lina walked into the room, Mia stopped them and then pointed upwards. Lina looked up and saw a mistletoe. She glared at Mia, but she was suddenly grabbed by the shoulders and Pavi started kissing her hard on the lips. The kiss would have been short if Pavi didn't tickle her sides and made Lina gasp. He took this chance to french kiss her like no tomorrow. Meanwhile, Lina was flailing her arms from the sudden attack.

A few minutes later, they parted from lack of oxygen. Lina leaned over gasping for breath and glared at Pavi. Pavi was grinning with a wide smile to have a chance to attack Lina with his lips. He was lucky Lina didn't hit him.

After watching them, Luigi and Mia found themselves entertained. The two, with the same mind, were thirsty. Just as they entered the door, Shilo stopped them and pointed up at the mistletoe.

Mia and Luigi shrugged before they attacked each other's lips. Jake and Ryan chimed in with an 'ew' when they saw them making out. It was as if they were eating each other's face off. They were more fierce than Pavi's and Lina's kiss. After a while, they let go of each other and started to get their drinks.

It was an hour later when Shilo and Graverobber were about to enter the children's room that Lina and Mia pointed up at the mistletoe. Shilo and Graverobber looked at each other, but Shilo blushed from the meaning. Graverobber shrugged and gently put one hand on her neck and the other on her face. He leaned in and Shilo closed her eyes. She stood up on her tiptoes because of their height difference. At first, the kiss was innocent, but the kiss suddenly turned more passionate. One of Graverobber's arm suddenly went around her waist and pulled her closer. The other arm went on the back of where her knees bent and pulled her up. Shilo took this chance to hook her legs around Graverobber's waist. Both Graverobber and Shilo moaned into their passionated kiss.

Lina felt like gagging and turned around from them. Mia rolled her eyes at how more dramatic their kiss was than she was with Luigi. One thing Lina and Mia knew was that Graverobber and Shilo won the kissing contest until next Christmas. After all, one of the other couples may be the reigning champions next time.

Night time came and Graverobber played his role as Santa Claus and started giving out presents to the children. The children were excited and chatted endlessly to Santa Claus except for Nate, Hero, and Arielle. They were old enough to know Santa Claus was just a myth and the true story of Saint Nicholas.

"This isn't the real Santa Claus," Animal suddenly pointed out. The excited children stopped and gasped at Animal from her sudden accusation. Graverobber chuckled and shrugged his shoulders.

"What do you mean about that, little child?" Graverobber asked, patting his rounded stomach stuffed with a padded bump, which was used for women faking their baby bumps. The person who generously offered the bump was Pavi for some unknown reason as to why he had such a thing in his possession in the first place.

"Well, I've met Santa Claus before, and you are not him," Animal stated.

The children gasped and looked over at Graverobber. The grown-ups stared nervously at the children. Graverobber chuckled heartily though there was a nervous hint to his laughter, but the children stared at him accusingly. It took Ryan, Jake, and Tom to attack him. They took off his beard and hat to show it was Graverobber. They gasped at the fake Santa. Emma, Amy, Ryan, Jake, and Tom looked crushed to find out the truth.

Lina groaned to have the children reveal the secret. Luckily, their crushed belief was soon immediately taken away when Emma shouted that it was snowing. It was rare that snow came onto the island, but it did for the first time in a long while. The children filed immediately out of the house and stared up at the sky. Shilo took this chance to turn on the Christmas display lights. The children immediately took their focus onto the lights in awe.

"Merry Christmas," said the grown-ups to the children.

"Merry Christmas," the children shouted merrily in return.

The Christmas party continued and everyone forgot the Santa Claus incident except for some of them which will not be named.

The Christmas party ended when everyone went to sleep. All was quiet. Nobody was stirring, not even a mouse. Suddenly, a thump was heard, awaking dear Animal. She ripped off her covers and quietly ran in a flash. She opened the door and took a glance. She saw a big man with a big sash over his arm. She sighed once knowing the stranger. Sighed twice for good measure. She came out of her hiding and stood in front of the guest. The guest smiled at her and chuckled quietly and greeted her with jolly.

"It's been a while, Animal," Santa Claus said. Animal nodded in agreement.

"Yes, it has," Animal stated, "Somebody impersonated you tonight. I revealed to everyone he is a fake."

"Oh? But you should not do so, Animal," Santa Claus told her. She quirked a brow at him with a questioning look.

"And why not?" Animal asked, not understanding.

"Because they did it out for love. To have the children believe what they cannot see and for they themselves who do not believe."

Animal looked at him once, then twice. And on the third time, she nodded after thinking things through.

"I see. Then next year, I shall not do something that would hurt their belief in you," Animal said with a nod. Santa Claus chuckled his usual 'ho ho ho' and patted her shoulder.

"Did you use a sleeping spell on everyone? They don't seem to awake," Animal said.

"Yup, I finally got it re-stocked after five years. Pixie dust and fairy dust with a sleeping spell does the trick. You are the only one unaffected," Santa said, now thinking back the first time he met her. He was actually almost killed by her, but he was lucky to have his protective robe at the time. She thought he was an intruder and an enemy of her assassin clan.

"I guess magic folks can be unaffected by their own people," Animal said with a smirk before she entered the kitchen and took a plate of cookies to Santa Claus.

He took them happily. Sweets were his energy to keep him awake as he went around the world to give gifts to the children. Milk is where Santa Claus gets his strength like Popeye gets his strength from chewing spinach.

Unknown to them, Lina and Mia were upstairs staring at them in secret. A smile crept on their faces before they silently went back to their slumber.

All was well in Sanitarium Island.


	31. Chapter 31

**A/N**: I apologize for not updating again. Due to some circumstances, I will not be updating as much so I apologize. Oh, and I forgot to mention that Animal does not belong to me, she belongs to **repogirl1**. Thank you to **Sombry** (lol, I don't see Pavi as the suicidal type though depressed he may be though it is an interesting idea. And of course, I will still show Pavi. He's one of the main characters of the story. Oh cool, I'll check out your youtube account. What title should I be looking for?), **repogirl1** (Yep, Animal is a special kind of sort. I'm still thinking up a pairing for her. It might take a while though), and **Emoen** (Yeah, I love that line too. The Largo brothers seem to be the type to put Santa Claus on the hit list. I don't think Santa Claus would give them any presents. And yeah, the chapters are somewhat depressing from here on out) for the reviews. In this chapter, Eric Hale, the once unconscious Repo Man, would make his short appearance. I have plenty surprises in this story. There may be a triquel for this story, so I hope you guys don't get upset if there is.

Chapter Thirty-One

Luigi watched as his brother came home late at night once again. And yet again, he watched as he grabbed one of the brunette Genterns and took him into his room. Luigi shook his head with a disapproving look. Ever since Lina's death, he would search for a brunette to satisfy his needs. But just as he wakes up and goes down for breakfast, he saw the lost look in Pavi's eyes. There were times Luigi noticed how Pavi would suddenly turn around but found himself disappointed at something. He understood at that moment how much he truly cared for the dead woman.

There was no trace of finding the culprit who stole Lina's body and who hit Mia behind her head, which pissed Luigi greatly. He searched for names and faces on the search log, but it was as if the guy just disappeared into thin air. Something was up, and Luigi was going to find out.

Silence is all Pavi could hear as he was being pleasured by his current Gentern of his choice. At first, he felt the pressure building, and he thought he could feel his release coming soon. But just as soon as he opened his eyes to see a random Gentern, the release never came, and he felt turned off immediately. With that, he stabbed the Gentern with a knife. His eyes became empty as the Gentern begged to be saved, but he did nothing as he watched the woman let out one final breath. He was even more cruel by dragging the dead body by the hair and threw her out of his room, so someone could throw her away. He sighed as he looked at himself in the mirror. All he could see was the monster before him.

On the second week, Mia was still unconscious. There was no progress and Luigi started to become impatient. Most of the time, he occupied himself into trying to find the culprit, but he couldn't get away from his lover for too long. He felt like a string was attached to him, and Mia was pulling at his string to come to her. He stared at her still body though it was evident she was breathing. Nothing felt more comforting as he laid his head on her chest to listen to her heart beat. It reminded him that she did not die. She was still alive, and he would not lose his lover like Pavi did. But then again, he also knew that he lost his lover in another way. He knew that if she woke up she would leave him. But for now, he still had her close to him.

Sometimes, Pavi was jealous of his brother. At least, Luigi could still hold his own lover, even if he may not hold onto her for long if she ever wakes up. Yes, Pavi learned what Luigi had done to Mia, and he found Luigi and Pavi were in the same position. The only difference is his loss of his lover due to death.

Once again, his mind drifted off towards his bella. He remembered the feather-like kisses she made onto his scarred face after he felt ugly when he looked into the bathroom mirror. He remembered her telling him to stab her, but he didn't. Sometimes, he wondered why he didn't, but he knew he was glad he did not go with it because he would never felt the bliss he had been given when he's with her.

He could almost feel her skin against his, her warmth taking his breath away. He missed her sweet smell of fruits mixed with a little bit of sweat. Funny, he never thought he would love a person's sweat except for hers. She would always be an exception.

Nights were his weakest moments. He would always go out when it gets dark, looking up the sky to search for her star. Sometimes, he wonders the story is merely a myth, but he could not afford to let himself believe that. Because like everyone else, he need to believe in something.

With his thoughts muddled, Pavi was awoken by a hand waving in front of his face. He blinked once then twice before he recognized who was standing in front of him. He glared at the man in front of him. Eric Hale, the unconscious Repo Man, stood with a smirk on his face.

"What is it that you want, Mr. Repo?" Pavi asked, not remembering his name on purpose. He remembered how he looked at his bella, and he still held a dislike for him even now.

"How does it feel, Mr. Largo?" Eric asked, his smile widening into that of a crazed look. Pavi looked at him in confusion. Pavi wonders if all Repo Man had strange characteristics.

"The Pavi does not understand your question. If you would please excuse me, the Pavi has other matters needing the Pavi's attention," he told Eric. He was about to take a step but Eric spoke up.

"How does it feel to lose her? To hold her as she died in your arms?"

Pavi froze. His mind wandered off to the moment of Lina's dying breath. His whole face paled at the thought. All the while, the painful ache returned to his body. He did not want to remember that memory. But because of that monster, he could not help to think of it. He remembered the tears she shed, the words she told him, her hands touching his face, her cold hands as they fell, her pale face, and the loss of her warmth. He missed her. That was for sure.

Pavi turned towards Eric to face him. He glared at the Repo Man. He noticed how the guy had a smug smile on his face as if he was hiding something. He found it strange, but it may be because Eric is just an oddball.

"The Pavi does not like your question. Do you think it is wise to cross a Largo, Mr. Repo?" Pavi's tone was threatening, but it did not get rid of Eric's smile.

"But of course not! I would never want to cross a Largo," Eric spoke in a mocking tone that Pavi was immediately unhappy with. All of a sudden, his smile returned again. "But I have to say, it is sad thing about Lina. The poor thing had been betrayed by her lover before she died. It must have hurt her greatly to think the person she loved the most would want to ruin her."

Pavi clenched his hands into fists when Eric added more oil to the already flaming fire. Pavi knew he was doing this on purpose, and Eric was crazy for doing so. The thing is Pavi did not have the energy to do anything. His statements were true. So true, it left a deep hole in Pavi's gut.

"She really did love you, you know," Eric said, his tone suddenly serious. Pavi was a little startled at the sudden change of tone, but he should have been used to it since Nathan Wallace had some similar qualities as Eric did. "I once confronted her. She could have escaped her doom if she just went with me when I asked her to. I would have forced her, but she wouldn't budge. Told me that the only one who would ever have her heart is you. It was as if she knew something bad was about to happen to her even when you chose her than that idiotic Angel woman."

Pavi froze at the new information. Lina would rather stay with him than to go with Eric? Pavi couldn't help but have a small smile at that then it came down to a frown at what he had done to her. His greed for fame had taken away the only woman he loved. Though his punishment for Lina was not directly involved to her impending death, she could have been still alive if he just took her to a doctor. Cure her before the poison overtook her and killed her in the end. But then again, if he didn't ask or even force her to do the surgery, things wouldn't have turn for the worse. It all went downhill because of his own greed.

"But I'm not here to talk to you about such news," Eric's voice rang in his ears, making Pavi come out of his daze. "I have some information about Lina's poisoning."

Pavi stared at him incrediously. Eric was not involved in the investigation of Lina's death, so he wondered how he could gotten something that Pavi's hired investigators didn't. He wondered if his investigators did any work at all.

"The Pavi is listening," Pavi replied seriously. His arms crossed, reminding Eric of Luigi and how they are really related.

"Found out the one who originally was supposed to give the orange juice was replaced by an unknown server. There was one eyewitness that saw the unknown server sprinkle something into the glass before giving it to Lina. After serving the beverage to her, the unknown server suddenly disappeared and was never heard again. Whoever did this to her may have had help, and this investigation is not as simple as it seems if nobody was able to find the culprit. This is only a guess, but I think the one who stole her body may be related to her poisoning," Eric explained.

Pavi listened intently at Eric's findings. He paused when he heard that Lina's poisoning and her body being snatched were involved with each other. It made sense to Pavi, and he didn't know what to do about it. Luigi was good with these things, and Pavi noted to himself to tell his brother about it.

"Why did you come to the Pavi instead of Luigi?" Pavi asked suddenly, wondering why he did come to him when he knew for a fact that the Repo Man hated him.

"Because she chose you," Eric said before leaving. Pavi wanted to stop him, but he figured not to. Pavi found sorrow once again enter his heart.

Mia stirred on the bed before her eyes opened. Luigi would have been estatic to see her awake, but he was not present since had to do something for GeneCo. Mia felt the aches as she slowly sat up, her whole body became somewhat stiff for not using them. As stiff as they may be, she took this chance to look around and figure out she was in the recovering ward of GeneCo from just looking around and the recognized smell of antiseptic. She look to her right to notice the feeding tube used to feed her during her coma. Mia made a face, disliking the thought. She sighed calmly and analyzed everything in the room once more. There were balloons and cards, but she never cared for them.

She tested out her voice and found out it was hoarse. She seemed not to be surprised at that. She moved her legs to the side of the bed as they dangled downward. She took a deep breath and pushed herself off the bed with her hands still on the bed to help her get balanced. The stiffness on her back cracked. She flinched a small bit but slowly took her hands off the bed and slowly dragged one foot forward. Her body moved like that of a robot. She continued to drag her heavy feet one step at a time. After taking three steps, the door suddenly opened for her to be greeted by Luigi.

Luigi's eyes widened to see Mia awake. Just as much as he hated to see her awake, he felt happy to see her standing in front of him. Slowly, he reached a hand towards her. His hand touched the softness of her skin, and he felt renewed. He hugged her in his arms. Nothing made him feel more alive to be able to hold her like this.

"What are you doing?" Mia's voice asked hoarsely. He let go of her and blushed a bit.

"I- you're awake," Luigi said stupidly. He cursed himself mentally.

"Yes, I am. Now, I'm trying to get to the restroom," she told him. Luigi blushed even further and carried her suddenly. Mia gasped at the sudden move, and she looked at him confused.

"I'll take you there," Luigi said in a whisper. Mia said nothing but stared at him and just nodded. He smiled and helped her to the restroom. She said a small thanks before closing the door on him.

"I love you, and I'm sorry," he mumbled quietly for only him to hear.

After she got out of the bathroom, Luigi carried her back to the hospital bed. Her legs dangling down from the side of the bed as Luigi sat in front of her. They were looking at each other, but Mia did not smile or looked at him lovingly. She stared at him with her cold eyes, and Luigi felt sick to his stomach that she would never show the love in her eyes that he loved so much.

"How long was I in the coma?" Mia asked before drinking a cup of water. She felt satisfied to feel the cold liquid sliding down her throat. Luigi was surprised to know she realized she was in a coma.

"Two weeks and three days," Luigi answered. Mia nodded quietly, and silence spread the room once again.

"What happened?" Mia finally asked, noticing Luigi was hiding something.

"Do you remember what happened to you?" Luigi asked hesitantly.

It only took a second before Mia's eyes widened.

"What happened to Lina?" Mia asked, her eyes dark and clearly unhappy. She remembered getting hit in the back of the head but just before she fainted she saw a shadowy figure picking up Lina's body.

Luigi sighed and said, "Someone snatched her body. We couldn't find the culprit."

She nodded quietly once again.

"I see. I will have my people search for her," Mia told him. Luigi stared at her increduously, wondering who 'her people' are.

Suddenly, he saw Mia look up from him and towards the door. Luigi followed her eyes and turned around to see Pavi. Pavi was shocked to see Mia finally awake, but his eyes then trailed off to another set of eyes belonging to his brother.

"I have found news about the incident of my bella's poisoning," Pavi said. Mia scoffed at the statement, making Pavi and Luigi stare at her. Her eyes looked at Pavi coldly.

"She isn't yours," she corrected him. Her statement hurt Pavi deeply and Luigi was startled by it as well. Usually, Mia wouldn't care about things like that, but this had no doubt showed Mia had changed greatly.

Luigi cleared his throat and changed the subject quickly.

"What was the news again, Pavi?"

Pavi shook away the pain inside him, not letting Mia's words hurt him too much.

"The Repo Man has told me an unknown server slipped something into the bella's drink except the original server was not the one who served it," Pavi explained, "He guesses that bella's poisoning and her capture are related."

Mia listened intently and nodded. She drinks the glass of water again and sets it down on the counter. She looks at both of the brothers with a serious expression.

"And this Repo Man is Eric Hale?" Mia asked. Pavi slowly nodded, wondering how she knew.

She nodded once again.

"I see. That man has the same assumptions as me then. If I am correct, this is done by someone of higher power or else you, Largo brothers, would have found the culprit even if they are in hiding. The greater question is for what reason would they want Lina dead," Mia stated. Her eyes then stayed on Luigi for just a moment. Luigi had noticed as they both stared into each other's eyes before Mia broke off their eye contact to look over at Pavi. In that brief moment, Luigi missed those beautiful light brown eyes staring at his own. Sadly, he knew that the damage was done and he would never have the chance to see the love in her eyes for him.

"As of right now, I am worthless for the time being. If anything, I will have people look into Lina's case," Mia told them, staring at them with blank and cold eyes. It sent shivers down Pavi's and Luigi's spines.

Of course, Pavi could tell Mia had reverted back to her old self or maybe even much colder than who she once was. He couldn't help but took a glimpse at Luigi, who was staring at Mia almost pleadingly. Pavi sighed and shook his head. The Largo brothers are too much alike.

Nate had taken Lina's death the hardest. Immediately, he shut himself away from everyone else. His usual gentle eyes turned empty and lost. Shilo had tried her best to comfort him, but Nate could not feel anything from Shilo's warmth. Shilo sighed and gave up halfway. Unlike the other children, Shilo couldn't help him and she knew that. The children even tried to do something, but he didn't respond to their actions or words. Once, Animal punched him to wake him up for worrying the others, but Nate did not react, painful it may be physically. No gentleness or pain could take him away from the loss.

It was then Emma's turn after two weeks of mourning. She sat next to him, saying nothing. She was just there by his side as if it was an appropriate thing to do. Emma knew very well from looking at Nate that he needed someone there but letting him mourn as he is. And in some way, Emma is going to be that person he needed.

It took an hour or so before Nate turned his head to greet Emma. Emma looked over to him and smiled warmly, putting a hand on his. She said nothing though, in which Nate was grateful for. He returned her smile with a smile of his own. Even if the smile was sad, it was the first reaction he made other than the depressed look he had on.

"Take all the time you need," Emma told him. Nate nodded until he suddenly held Emma into a hug. Emma smiled warmly and wrapped her arms around him.


	32. Chapter 32

**A/N**: Sorry for the slow update again. Too busy with other things. I'm sorry to say that this chapter is too boring, although it slowly gets better at the end. Thank you to **babygirljoz17 **and **repogirl1** for the messages. I returned a message for you two. Thank you **Emoen** (Yeah, I kind of miss Eric, but I just couldn't find the time to put him in there) for your review. It's always nice to hear from you. Okay, in this, a new character comes in and he is so wacky.

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><p>Chapter Thirty-Two<p>

Shilo felt very tired recently. After a few weeks since Lina's death, she had been speaking with her ISCDCSI (Investigating and Solving Cases Department for Citizens of Sanitarium Island) co-workers in helping to find out who had poisoned Lina that led to her death. She had found out from Mia that the person who poisoned Lina was also the one who kidnapped Lina's body. It gave Shilo a headache when she had two jobs at once. One was working under Mia's cousin, Trent de Luca, at Medisurge Corporation, and the other is working at ISCDCSI. She also had a meeting about GeneStein in GeneCo. Apparently, she had three jobs since she is working on research for GeneStein. The advances of new medicine was necessary since it seemed the "blue glow" became too addicting to patients. She had to research on possible options that are safer. A few cases had been shown that some were allergic to Zydrate and the old medicine weren't much safer either.

Shilo sighed. She had three piles of papers to go through. Her number one priority among her three jobs for now was on the investigation on Lina's kidnapped body. To her, that was the most important thing to do. All she needed to do were to take important notes. Things that needed to be detailed were written down. She also put forth some questions that needed to be answered. It took three days for it. Her second priority was on GeneStein since the Largos were involved in this corporation. She indeed had to get out of the house for this work, but she was sure to be home before Graverobber left to go to work. Her last job was her continuous work at MediSurge, and it involved copious amounts of time, but there was no deadline involved.

Though her work is important, her primary concern should be for her children and loved ones. Luckily, the children had grown to learn responsibility and took upon themselves to take care of themselves. Somewhere inside Shilo, she felt rather useless. Yes, she cooked and cleaned for them. Yes, she took care of them. Sadly, she knew she could never replace their parents.

She felt even more useless not being able to comfort Nate. Sometimes, Shilo could see her father in him at times. She felt scared at the similarities, realizing he had the same eye color as her father. He had the same awkwardness that somewhat felt like her father's. And right now, the distance he is making away from everybody else was similar to her father. Because of it, Shilo felt uncomfortable around the boy. She knew it wasn't his fault, but the thought of seeing a young version of her father put fear into her. Even though she cared and loved her father, she did not want to be reminded of his other half, the one in which made him well known as a Repo Man. Maybe, this fear had been the one thing that made her distant with the boy. To be reminded of the past was something Shilo could not handle. She had to confess she truly didn't like the boy as she did the others. It was the painful bitter truth but even Shilo couldn't deny it.

The children were the strongest than the adults. They were like their own community, helping each other out when the adults were too busy. Graverobber wasn't the kind to be surrounded by children, and he often told them that. They accepted and did their own thing even without his help. They took care of each other. After a while, Arielle, Animal, and Hero were accepted to this tight-knit group of children. They were like brothers and sisters to each other, and they would be treated as such. There were times when they fought, and they would always seek Shilo and tattletale on what one particular person did wrong. But when the going gets tough and Shilo was incapable to help them, they learned to be nice to each other and try not to get on each other's nerves. The newcomers learned to live with this and found a life much better than they would ever be when they were by themselves.

Arielle still had her mother, but she found this place much more comforting than the neglectful mother she had at her own house. And of course, her own father sold her which should tell plenty of his character. There was a day when her uncle, Eric Hale, came up to her and asked if she would want to go back to her mother. Arielle did not need to think much and answered wholeheartedly that she did not want to go back. Her mother had a life of her own, and she understood (though painfully aware) that she was just a nusiance to her mother. Yes, she cared for her mother. Yes, she would be glad to go back to her mother. But in all truth, she was much happier with Shilo than she would ever be with her own mother.

At first, Arielle had a hard time coping with others, especially the boys. She was easily scared and had nightmares every day. Slowly, though, she soon got out of her shell and her fear subsided after spending so much time being surrounded by the children and their different personalities. She also had less nightmares, which helped her slowly turn back to her original personality. She was more kind and considerate as well as curious and humorous. She also had a great singing voice. As a matter of fact, Ryan accidentally heard her singing a lullaby in the living room when she thought everyone was asleep. He loved her voice and he told her so too when she finished singing.

Animal, in character, acted like Mia. The similar characteristics were inevitable, and they could either pass off as mother and daughter or siblings to each other. Unlike Mia, Animal seemed to be much more relaxed than Mia and showed much more concern to the ones younger than her even if it did not show on her face. There were instances where her actions showed how truly protective she could be. For example, she would go far off to the corner and watch them with a hawk eye. Ryan, Tom, and Jake were horseplaying like usual, and it wasn't anything new. But as soon as Jake had been roughened up by Ryan and Tom, Animal, who did not know, thought they were hurting Jake purposefully and immediately came to Jake's aide. She pulled Ryan and Tom off of him, and held the back of their necks and put them in place. Ryan and Tom, of course, were shocked and they could feel a little pain emitting from Animal's hold on them. Animal then looked over to Jake and asked him if he was okay. Jake, not knowing better, said he was a little sore. Oblivious to Jake, he did not see the darkened look she gave Ryan and Tom. Animal looked about ready to tear them apart, which utterly put more fear into the boys immediately. Seeing the trouble it would cause, Nate came up and told her that they usually play like that and that it wasn't anything new. Emma came up beside Nate and agreed. Animal looked over to Jake and asked him if it was true, Jake nodded. She let go of the boys and the boys stumbled over and reminded themselves to be careful at how they played their games.

Originally, Animal wanted Lina to teach her how to live normally. But because of Lina's situation and her death, Animal did not get to see her or know who she is and if it was true that Lina was no longer an assassin and lived life like a normal citizen. After staying in the Wallace household, though, she learned that she could be accepted for who she is and found out it was okay to live this kind of life with the other children as it is.

It was evident Hero is very close to Amy. There seemed to be a bond that they shared. Anyone who tried to break it would be greeted by Hero's dark gaze. Most of the time, this dark gaze came towards the boys, especially Nate. Sometimes, Hero questioned why he was so close to Amy. He wanted to know why there was such an immediate bond between them, yet he would immediately forget when she is close to him. Ultimately, her warmth and her hold on him melted his cold heart. And oddly, he would take a sniff of her hair to relax him. They would even share the same bed (nothing perverse, of course). Animal would find it acceptable though let it off when Hero would not budge and Amy would hold onto him tighter.

Because of Amy, Hero found himself more active with the other children. He tried painting, which was of normal range. He would sometimes be envious when Amy would take notice of the other boys. There was a time when Amy watched as Tom did a drawing of a realistic bird. Amy would let go of Hero and had her attention onto Tom's finalized art piece. She would compliment Tom, which made Hero feel a strange feeling in his stomach. He didn't like how Amy's attention was on Tom, so he would seem to 'accidentally' slip on the floor and hurt himself. And of course, the children came to check up on him, but they knew to steer clear to allow Amy to be beside him. When she asked Hero where he was hurt, he would point to his knee cap. And in believing Shilo's words, she kissed the 'injury' and smiled up at Hero. She would say her usual, "All better?" And he would respond with a nod. She would then give him her usual hug and he would hug her in return. He would glare at Tom and have a small smirk on his face as if telling him that Amy was his. Tom held his hands up in surrender, wondering how attached Hero could be to Amy.

Since Nate, Animal, and Hero were the same age as each other, they were considered as the more adult-like figures for the younger ones. But then again, before these newcomers came, Emma sometimes passed off as the mother-like figure of the group. She had learned those qualities from her own mother and Shilo herself. As for Tom, he sometimes played the opposite role of Emma, being the father figure of the group before the newcomers came.

After Nate went into mourning, he was incapable of being himself. If he had known Lina would be dead, he would have visited her more often and spent more time with her. He noticed Shilo did not explain how she died, and he wondered about it. But for now, he wanted to mourn. She was more of a mother to him than his parents, and it was that much harder to realize she was gone. Emma, though young, understood him greatly. He did not need unnecessary pity or someone telling him what to do or what not to do. He just needed to mourn like everyone else who lost someone important. Nate's way to mourn was to zone everything out. But of course, there were times it was necessary to pull Nate back to reality before he loses himself completely. Emma sat beside him as a means to keep him company as a companion and to keep him from falling.

Animal had taken the task to be the guard of the family at the announcement of Lina's death. Hero could have also taken that role as well but he merely had his thoughts on protecting Amy than to fill the role as a guard. After Lina's death, Hero couldn't help but to be more protective of Amy. Like Nate, Lina filled the role of being a motherly figure to Hero. He felt that if he did not protect Amy wholeheartedly then she would be taken away from his as well, and he couldn't bear the thought of it.

As for the triplets, they were taken care of by Emma, Tom, and Arielle when Nate was too depressed to help and when Shilo had to leave for work. Graverobber had zero experience with babies as well as Animal. As much as Animal wanted to take care of the triplets, she was afraid to break them. They were so little that Animal couldn't let herself put them in danger by holding them. She heard that babies were delicate creatures and if not taken care of properly, they could get hurt or even die. Animal cringed inside her brain at the thought.

The children were now sitting on the ground in a circle in their room. Nate and Emma held hands as well as Hero and Amy. Tom glared at Nate's and Emma's intertwined hands. Arielle, Ryan, and Jake sat uncomfortably for different reasons. Arielle was still not good with the crowd, Ryan hated the quiet, and Jake could not still because of his energetic youthful age. Animal sat quietly with a calm expression as if waiting for someone to speak.

"We need to do something," Emma finally spoke after minutes of silence.

"What do you mean?" Arielle asked in her quiet voice with a nervous tone.l

"Mommy is working in the morning; Daddy is working at night; and Auntie Mia doesn't visit anymore. Things are changing, and we need to change as well," Emma clarified and then looked around at the other childrens' faces. It was amazing how Emma sounded mature even with her age and child-like voice.

Nate nodded in agreement.

"Yes, I agree. Even though we are children, we need to do something and shouldn't just sit here and doing nothing. We need to learn how to protect ourselves after what happened to... Lina," Nate said, cringing at the thought of Lina's death.

"Yes, my thoughts exactly. Though we may be young, those without experience can learn the basics if anything were to happen as extra precaution," Animal added.

Tom let out a frustrated breath while crossing his arms.

"And who will teach us?" Tom asked, not liking the idea at hand although he knew full well the idea seemed necessary.

"Hero and I will," Animal told them. She looked at Hero for confirmation and he gave a curt nod and then looked over at Amy. Amy noticed his staring and looked up at him. Hero's eyes softened while he pulled her close to him and set her to sit down on his lap. Amy did so, and he smiled.

Emma giggled at the action while Tom snarled in disgust. Ryan and Jake were unphased. Arielle blushed at the close proximity between Amy and Hero. Animal had a slight questioning expression on her face, and Nate just gave out a small smile.

"Didn't Lina taught you self-defense, Nate? Why don't you teach the rest of us as well?" Emma pointed out, giving him an encouraging smile. Nate sighed and shook his head.

"I do not have real life experience, and I still think I haven't learned enough to even protect myself," Nate explained. Animal stared at him cautiously and shrugged.

"Let me be the judge of that when we go one-on-one. None of you may have known, but she is a top S-rank assassin," Animal told them. The statement almost had everyone surprised. There was a knowing smile on Emma's face as if she already had known about this fact, but it wasn't very surprising since she stayed with Shilo, Lina, and Mia the longest.

"Is Lina that cool?" Ryan asked, awed and curious about Lina's past.

"I guess one could say that," Animal admitted, "When I was still in that field, she was considered one of the great many who had the qualities to be the perfect killer."

Everyone was shocked. They had never known Lina to be a killer, but some of them had started feeling unsettled and Emma and Nate saw that. Nate suddenly cleared his throat, taking the attention away from Animal.

"So when should we learn the basics?" Nate asked, changing topics. He didn't want the children to think Lina in a negative light because of her past.

"Yes, I would like to know as well," Emma said energetically, standing up with excitement.

Animal stared at the two as if she knew what they were trying to do and played along with them. It seemed nobody realized at the change of topic, so she didn't really care. She only wished to have met Lina before she died, so she could ask her questions. Questions that Lina could only answer.

"We can start tomorrow morning," Animal stated.

It was then the children's meeting was adjourned. It had been a major vote that Shilo did not know about this and what they were about to do because they knew Shilo would definitely object to the idea. Graverobber would not be in on it as well since Graverobber had been slacking off in checking on them even when he promised Shilo. And of course, he slept for most of the day, so he had no chance to watch them.

Outside of the Wallace residence, a ragged child stood and stared at the home. The child had worn a tall tattered hat and half of his face was hidden by a half mask. And as if knowing there was an electric field around the house, the child picked up a pebble and threw it against the gate. The rock was shocked into oblivion and the child smirked. The child then took another small pebble and threw it high on the wall and landing on the top of it. And like before, there was a blue light shocking the pebble. With a smile, the child pressed the intercom button.

"Hello? Ding ah ling ah ding dong," the child's voice sang in a booming voice. This child was obviously a boy (and a mischievous one at that) by the sound of his voice.

Shilo and the children heard the weird greeting. And of course, Shilo went down to inspect who was at the gate. She was startled to find a boy wearing ragged clothing standing in front of her house. She was about to put the electric field down, but Animal held her hand and stopped her.

"You shouldn't lower the field without finding out whether he is dangerous or not," Animal told her. Shilo stared at Animal for a bit before lowering her hand.

"He's a child though," Shilo argued.

Animal shook her head.

"What if he was an assassin like Hero or me? Would you risk everyone's lives because you thought this boy is harmless?" Animal asked. Shilo thought for a while and understood. She nodded her head.

"Let me talk to him," Animal told her. Shilo was shocked and showed concern for the young girl.

"But..." Shilo was about to argue that it should be her responsibility but Animal put her hand up to signal her to quiet. When Shilo did keep quiet, Animal immediately left to speak to the boy out there.

When the boy saw Animal, he let out a gleeful smile. Something about him irritated Animal right away. She noticed he was wearing a white half mask, hiding the upper part of his face.

"Who are you? What do you want?" Animal questioned coldly. The boy chuckled and started to rub his chin thoughtly.

"You're cute," he suddenly said. Animal glared at him and understood why she was irritated with him. By the tone of his voice, he was not only mischievous but a pervert as well.

"You haven't answered my question." She did not show any expression as always.

The boy answered with an uncaring shrug before he suddenly plopped down and sat cross-legged.

"Riddle me this. A boy sees this gorgeous girl on the other side of the gate before he sits down on the concrete ground with a smile on his face. With his hat placed on his head, he winked _and drew_ out a rose." He suddenly pulled out a rose out of nowhere and continued, "And in this riddle, I gave out my name. What is my name?"

Animal glared at him momentarily before immediately replying.

"What is your last name, _Andrew_?" Animal questioned. The boy frowned and showed her a pouted look.

"You're no fun. You were supposed to think about it," The one named Andrew said with a huff. He shrugged and suddenly let out a grin again on his face. "Oh well, can't always get what I want, can I?"

"A trick this," he started as he twirled the rose in between his fingers, "and a trick that." He finished as the rose suddenly disappeared again.

"But it won't be fun," he started again before he suddenly made a fist and blew in it, "If there isn't a challenge." He flicked his wrist where he made a fist and a bouquet of roses suddenly appeared into his fist.

Animal continued to glare at him, unaffected by his trickery. The boy on the other side of the gate was definitely strange.

"Answer my questions," Animal demanded. The boy sighed and shrugged his shoulders.

"Boring! Too boring!" He suddenly yelled in frustration but then he suddenly reverted back to his cheery self. "I'm just a poor boy in a need of a home. Andrew is my name, and jest is what I do. Take me, don't leave me. Andrew Jest is who I really am."

Animal wanted very much to roll her eyes at the irritating boy, but she didn't. She kept it cool and found out the boy is a modern jester (an annoying one at that). She now declared in her mind that she disliked jesters.

Shilo took this chance to come outside after hearing this conversation.

"Why do you want to live here? And who told you about this place?" Shilo asked curiously. For some reason, the child was somewhat irritating and somewhat entertaining at the same time that Shilo couldn't help to speak with Andrew.

"Scary lady, she is. She spoke of a place, this place, where once a frail girl lived all alone. This once frail girl, now a woman, took up a few children to take care. The scary lady with her brunette hair told this little jester of a place to live after the little jester was kicked out of his circus. The now poor little homeless jester took this chance to go to this once frail girl's house and ask for a place to stay. So without further ado, this little homeless jester asks for his stay in this big old house of the once frail girl, now woman," he finished before taking off his hate and gave a bow.

Shilo and Animal noticed he had light platinum blonde hair before he stood straight and laid his hat on top of his head again and gave a hard pat for it to go slightly down. Shilo understood what he was saying, but was he harmless? Shilo looked over to Animal and asked.

"Do you think he may be harmless?" Shilo asked. Animal looked up at her before looking at the boy, who was looking at them. It was hard to tell his expression due to his mask, but Animal felt like he was looking at them expectantly.

"He speaks in a strange way, and he still has an unknown background. There is no telling of whether he is dangerous or not," Animal answered.

It was then Graverobber suddenly appeared behind them and put his arms around Shilo's waist. Shilo was startled and looked up. When she knew it was Graverobber, she let out a sigh of relief but elbowed him for scaring her. Graverobber made a slight 'ooph' sound but still smiled anyways. Animal wasn't surprised though. Of course, she knew he was there because of sensitivity to her surroundings.

"Oh, Jester, why are you here?" Graverobber asked.

Shilo looked up at her lover in surprise.

"You know him?"

Graverobber shrugged.

"His mother is a druggie. He used to walk with his mother and watch her use Zydrate. His mother sold him to the circus though to get Zydrate. Saw him a few times when I passed the circus he was in," Graverobber explained.

"Ah, it is been a long time, Mr. Gra-" Andrew started, but Graverobber spoke up.

"Rave, kid. The name's Rave," Graverobber corrected him. Andrew looked at him slightly confused but shrugged. He smiled again before he sat on the ground.

"Is it not better to be called Raven? It befits what you do," Andrew said, "And the name is Andrew Jest, no longer Jester. Jester is dead and Andrew arises. For in this Andrew, he becomes anew. The scary lady says so!"

"Does he always speak that way?" Animal asked curiously.

Graverobber chuckled and nodded.

"The kid does that for a living as well as his magic tricks," Graverobber answered. Animal stared at the boy but found herself feeling quite annoyed now.

"Is he harmless?" Shilo asked.

"Everyone's dangerous in this island, Lovebug. But if you need to know, he is only slight of hand. In a way, he is just as harmless as I am," Graverobber told her.

It was then Shilo finally came to her decision. She went inside and put in the code and let the electric field down. It was then Animal came to the gate and opened it for Andrew. Ecstatic, Andrew gave a bow before he entered the gate by skipping. When Animal closed the gate and turned, she saw Andrew staring at her with a smile on his face. It was then and there that Animal knew Andrew would be the one that she wished she could kill.

* * *

><p><strong>AN**: Andrew's riddle does not belong to me. I looked it up on google and changed some things to make it my own. His quirkiness is kind of annoying to some of you, but it makes him so entertaining in an irritating kind of way. Doesn't really makes sense, but it kind of did for me. Hope you enjoyed it.


	33. Chapter 33

**A/N**: I apologize for the slow updates. This chapter is confusing because of the different point of views. I like Andrew. He's so lively and annoying. This chapter is another sad one. Yes, I'm that bad, but it's only for story purposes. I'm not technically having fun torturing the characters. Thank you to **repogirl1** (thank you for the message as well. I like Andrew, so I'm sure an upbeat guy like him will annoy Animal greatly. It's a little cliche though) and **Emoen** (Yeah, even I don't even know how many children there are. I seemed to keep forgetting one of them. It just keeps on adding up. But then again, Shilo's house is in some way an orphanage. Thankfully, these children are only minor characters, so they don't have that much spotlight) for the reviews. I have to apologize about last chapter for making it look like an outline. I guess I considered it as the worst chapter I wrote for the story. I hope everyone can continue to support this story. I think this story will end in twelve more chapters. Does that sound reasonable?

Chapter Thirty Three

Silence filled the meeting room. Mia and Shilo sat beside each other. Mia's usual cold light brown eyes stared darkly at the Largo siblings. Shilo looked uncomfortable with all the important people related to the GeneStein project. Shilo also noticed how different Mia seemed to be, and she had questioned Mia about it too, however, Mia told her it was nothing for Shilo to worry about which furthered Shilo's worry. She was concerned yet did not continue to pry, feeling it would make Mia more distant with her.

Luigi and Pavi noticed Mia's glare towards them. The way her eyes bored into them had made the two men quite uncomfortable. Luigi felt the chill in her stare, something he had never felt from her before. As for Pavi, he felt sick to his stomach. The point in which reminded him of what he had done to her friend, to his lover. He wanted to get out. He wanted to stay in the comfort of his bed even though it would make him feel even lonelier. At least, in his bed, he would not have Mia remind him of the sins he had done.

Amber Sweet had been oblivious to everything else. She was, in fact, more concerned about the business aspects. She did not care about feelings. She only cared about expanding the business. Furthermore, she could care less about others except for herself.

The business meeting consisted of the shareholders of GeneStein, which included Trent de Luca and the Largo siblings, and Shilo was to keep everyone up to date about the research. Currently, Shilo tried to find cures to untreatable diseases like Rotti Largo had. The name had stung quite a bit to the Largo siblings, even to Amber Sweet whose mind was solely on business. The research was not doing well, but she only had worked only for two weeks. Research as delicate as that could even take years.

The meeting was declared over after an hour of the current standing of the research and other things that may needed to be discussed such as equipment and the costs of the research.

Trent de Luca took the initiative to speak to Shilo while Mia had taken the time to speak with one of the flirtatious shareholders. It shocked Shilo greatly to see Mia flirting back. Her hand graciously touching the chest of the man as she gotten closer to the man. Shilo's worry had gotten worse for Mia. The Mia that she knew would willingly flirt like this unless the means were necessary to avoid violence. Shilo took this chance to look at Luigi, who seemed to be openly glaring at them.

Luigi felt the anger surging inside him when he saw Mia flirting with another man. His Mia! He saw red when he saw her hand brushing against the man's chest and a small smile on her face. The man had the audacity to put his hands on her waist. She belonged to him, and how dare he touch her so intimately. Luigi was about to go over there and rip him apart, but he stopped when Mia looked over at him with a grim look on her face. He unconsciously held his breath. They looked into each other's eyes for just a moment before Mia tore herself away from their intense gaze. Mia let her hand fall from the man's chest and parted away from him.

Mia couldn't handle staying in the same place with Luigi. She went to Shilo and they both left the meeting room. Shilo took this chance to talk to her.

"What's wrong Mia? What had happened to you and Luigi?" Shilo asked, her voice full of concern. Mia looked over to her and her eyes expressed the sadness within her.

"Luigi Largo acted like a Largo. That is all you need to know, Shilo," Mia stated, but there was sadness in her tone. A tone Shilo rarely recognized from her.

"He broke your heart?" Shilo continued. Mia chuckled coldly and shook her head.

"He broke more than my heart. My greatest downfall was falling for and being in love with him," Mia told her and Shilo shivered at the latter part of the statement. Shilo had another reason to dislike the Largos. Every bad thing that came to Shilo seemed to be related to the Largos. Shilo wonders if there was any way of breaking the chains that seemed to lock them with her.

"I'm sorry. If I had known, I would have stopped what they had done to you and Lina," Shilo said. Mia shook her head.

"What has been done is done," she answered coldly. Once again, she reverted back to her cold-hearted self. "Other than that, I have some news about the rebellion. After speaking with Mr. Hempher, it seems the rebellions are now starting to attack small businesses."

Shilo looked over at her confused.

"Mr. Hempher?" Shilo questioned.

"The man I was flirting with after the meeting was done. It doesn't take that much effort to get some information from a lecherous man," Mia said simply. Shilo looked at her with surprise written on her face.

"So, you planned to flirt with him beforehand? How did you know you would get information from him?" Shilo asked. Mia shrugged as they both started walking out of GeneCo.

"Simple. The small businesses that were attacked happened to belong to him. Pierre gave me the information about him. He is weak against any woman. And with a little prodding from me, he easily told me about the information we need," Mia explained. And once again, Shilo was blown away by Mia.

At the meantime with the children, unlike the others, Andrew was immediately welcomed by most of the children. His parlor tricks took the hearts of the young. Arielle was fascinated at Andrew's quirkiness, and his riddles were rather fun to Emma and Nate. His jesting ways had entertained the children enough to make them forget about the bad things that happened. All except one. Animal still disliked the boy. He was fourteen years old, one year older than Animal. He was a tall boy, taller than Nate and Animal. His ragged top hat had given him an even taller appearance. He rarely ever takes off his hat. And when he does, his light platinum blonde hair gives off a glow to him. As for his half mask, it seems he never takes it off even when he sleeps. With a closer inspection, he has icy blue eyes. Animal had to admit he does have a beautiful shade of blue.

"Tsk, tsk. A lady like yourself should smile. Like I say, a line for every frown," he said with his lithe and lively voice.

Animal glared at him with disgust before pushing him aside. Andrew was undeterred by her actions and silence. Instead, he found himself quite challenged, and he like a challenge.

"Riddle me this. Everyone has it but not everyone uses it. To some, it is considered equal as the sun. To some, it is beauty in itself. It is pure, yet tainted. It could make people happy, yet sometimes hurts when used. It could be a fake, and it could be real. What is it?" Andrew questioned with a smile on his face.

Animal looked over to Andrew, but she looked away. She sighed at his games, and he tries every time to make her speak.

"A smile," Animal answered with ease. Andrew's smile grew bigger and then a chuckle soon replaced it.

"And smile you should," Andrew said with a nod. He suddenly took off his top hate flipped it with his fingers. And as it turned upright again, he fisted his left hand and immediately covered it with his hat. His other hand became free.

"One. Two. Three!" He counted while making hand movements on top of the hat with his right hand. He then lifted his hat from his left hand and pulled out a single red rose without thorns and gave it to her.

"Red is passion. Red is love. Red bleeds. Red is courage. Red is aggressive. Red is heroic. Red is what is inside everyone. It courses through our veins. Red makes us relatives yet could make us strangers. But most of all, red is you and red is me," Andrew said in a passionate yet loving way.

"Red makes people want too much. Red is lust. Red kills. Red bleeds until nothing is left. Red makes blue," Animal answered in return, pushing the rose back at him. Andrew sighs and shakes his head. He took the rose and put it behind his ear.

"You see the most negative of ways. What can I, Andrew the Jest, help you find the positive? Where is the light to your dark?"

"You do not see the cruelty of the world as I have. I killed many and saw too many deaths. There is no positive when all you see is dark," she answered without a difference in tone.

"And with such cruelty, there needs to be life," he told her in return, "Cruelness is chosen by man. It is the same for happiness. One can choose what they feel, so why not choose happiness? Is it not better to live than not to live at all?"

Animal glared at him but said nothing else. It has only been a day and a half and already Andrew managed to make her lose her cool. He irritated her, yet he did not feel the same. She had managed to answer all of his riddles. And for the first time, Andrew had found a worthy adversary. He just wants to know how long it would take before she finally cracked her mask. It wouldn't be so bad to see her smile at least once even if it would only be by a centimeter.

After the meeting was done and Shilo left to go home hours ago, Mia took this chance to sit on a concrete bench in a quiet and empty street. She moved her head a bit upwards, looking beyond the horizon to see the stars before her. She could clearly see the moon and stars there. Even as she gazed at the sky, her eyes seemed dazed and lost.

Mia seemed grateful for the silence. She needed it for her muddled thoughts. Her whole body felt numb, her heart empty. She felt herself being consumed by deep pain, the reminders of the past and what had happened to her, and Luigi's betrayal. Even though Mia betrayed him first, she did it out of love. He did it out of vengeance and used the most terrible of means. In the end, Mia could not forgive him even though she loves him. Yes, she still loves him even after what he had done, and she felt foolish for it.

Her mind was soon interrupted when she felt someone sitting next to her. She turned to see, surprisingly, Paviche Largo next to her.

"Brother is angry at you," Pavi stated simply. His eyes focused upon the stars as if searching.

"And why should I care?" Mia asked. She already knew Luigi was angry at her for flirting with Hempher, but business was business. There was nothing left for the two to be together.

"He loves you." Pavi took out a photo. It was the one with her, Nate, and him on one of the rides at the amusement park. He found it yesterday when he was rummaging through Lina's things. His Lina was smiling, and he couldn't help but kiss the photographed version of her.

"Loved me," Mia corrected him. "There's nothing more for us."

Pavi turned to look at her for a moment. He was about to speak but closed his mouth before he could utter a word. After finding out he had nothing to say, he looked up at the night sky once again.

"I saw my bella again. She saved me from being killed. I was drunk though. And by the time I woke up, I found myself already in bed," Pavi said, "Do you think it was a dream?"

Mia stood up right then. Her eyes flashing with a dark look at him. Pavi shivered when his eyes met hers. He regretted speaking about Lina in front of her. He didn't want to hear her say that Lina was no longer his. It wasn't fair. She does belong to him, and he belongs to her. They are perfect. If only, he had seen that sooner.

"Do not lose yourself to dreams or else you will go mad," Mia told him, "And yes, it is just a dream. I'm sure you remembered that Lina is dead. It is impossible for your dream to be real."

Mia left after that. Those words of hers caused Pavi's shoulders to slump and made him more depressed than before. He was no longer capable to look up at the stars anymore.

"But it felt so real. My bella held the Pavi. Pavi saw her eyes," he whispered to no one but himself, "None of the Pavi's dreams or nightmares felt as real as then."

He felt a cold chill, and he shivered. He looked over to the direction Mia had left. Before he knew it, his eyes widened and he froze in fear to see a horrified scene a few yards away from him. There was someone facing Mia. Mia was holding her stomach as if she had been stabbed. He watched as she fell and the killer carried her body over his shoulder before going inside a vehicle. The vehicle sped and disappeared into the opposite direction where Pavi was. It happened so quickly that Pavi didn't have time to react.

Pavi soon got out of his shock and called his brother immediately. It ringed once then twice before Luigi finally picked it up. He could hear his brother's angry growl while ordering someone to do something. When he saw Mia flirting with one of the CEOs, Luigi became more aggressive than usual.

"What do you want Pavi?" Luigi yelled.

"B-brother, your bella... she has been kidnapped," Pavi told him nervously.

It had been quiet for a minute before Luigi spoke again.

"Why should I care?" He growled, but Pavi could hear the worry in his voice. The brothers knew each other well.

"Sh-she may have been stabbed as well," Pavi continued. There had been a minute of silence once again.

"You fucking idiotic brother! Did you call the GeneCops? Do you remember what the kidnapper looks like? Did he use a vehicle? Are they still there? Did you try to do something?" Luigi yelled over the line.

"Pavi apologizes. He did not call the GeneCops. Pavi could not see who the kidnapper is because it was so dark. Yes, he did use a vehicle. The kidnapping and entering the vehicle happened so fast, and they left before I could do anything," Pavi answered immediately. Another moment of silence erupted again.

"You fucking idiot! If it was only kidnapping, then it means they would want ransom and we could easily get her back. But if she's been stabbed, it's a different story! I'll call the GeneCops! If anything happens to her, there will be hell to pay," Luigi growled before cutting the line quickly.

Pavi softly sighed, shaking his head. He felt so useless. He couldn't do anything to save Mia. His bella is dead. His brother's bella had been stabbed and kidnapped. Nothing seemed to be going right for Pavi Largo or for his brother for that matter.

What next? Pavi could not fathom the thought. In the end, the news turned for the worse. Three days later, they found Mia's dead body dumped near the GeneCo building. A message taped on her forehead saying the rebels will rise to ruin GeneCo. Once again, tears were shed. The one who had it worse seemed to be Luigi. He did not cry or react at all. He looked empty. He looked lost. He looked like a shell.

"I can't do it anymore. Nothing has happened, and I'm sure you are wrong," said Graverobber to Amber Sweet.

"What?" Amber Sweet shrieked, "We made a deal!"

"Find someone else, Amber," Graverobber told her coldly. Amber Sweet was surprised because it was the first time he spoke to her in that manner.

"Hm? Did you fall in love with her then?" Amber Sweet accused, poking his chest with her index finger. "The only reason you went to her was under a false pretense for you to give me information. In exchange for that information, you will get your freedom!"

"All I see her doing is work and take care of her kids. She already lost a close friend of hers. I don't think she will work for the rebels if it means putting those kids at risk. And even if she were to take GeneCo away from you, she would already have done so," Graverobber explained. There was no humor when she laughed.

"You haven't answered my question, Graverobber? Are you in love with her?" Amber Sweet questioned once again, completely waving off what Graverobber just said.

Graverobber glared at her, but her two bodyguards started aiming their guns at Graverobber. He flinched, of course. He hated how he got cornered like this.

"Love isn't in my dictionary," Graverobber answered without a hint of a lie in his voice. Amber Sweet giggled and shrugged her shoulders.

"Then you wouldn't care if she were to be, how should I say, taken out?" Amber Sweet challenged. Graverobber felt the sudden fear enter his body, but he wouldn't allow himself to show it.

"I see people die every day," he answered simply. It wasn't a clear answer, but Amber took it as if he didn't care about Shilo.

"Good. Because soon enough, she will meet her demise," Amber Sweet told him. Graverobber was thankful his hands were in his pockets because he was clenching them pretty hard. "I will destroy anyone who tries to take me from my throne."

"You sound like your father," Graverobber told her.

Amber Sweet glared at him before she pushed him further against the wall. She soon started nibbling his ear, and Graverobber started to react. His hands slithered around Amber's waist. During that moment, all he could see and feel was Shilo. Suddenly, he felt a pain at his private area. He leaned over and clutched his lower part.

"Don't ever mention my father in front of me again," she replied sharply, "Continue to stay with Shilo and give me information, and I will give you your freedom back."

She left without another word. Her clicking heels still haunting Graverobber's mind. Graverobber slid down after Amber Sweet and her bodyguards disappeared. He sighed and felt guilty. He was betraying Shilo once again. The first time he took her mother's body. And now, he's using Shilo to get information for Amber Sweet. Thankfully, there was nothing that related Shilo with the rebels.

Just as he entered Shilo's home, Shilo immediately held him in a hug. He could hear her crying, and he knew something bad must have happened. He held her close to him, and she looked up at him. Her tear-stained face caused a reaction in him. He held her even tighter and his gut twisted at her expression. He knew this face will haunt him.

"Mia's dead. They found her body dumped near GeneCo. Both of my friends are dead. Why? Why does this have to happen to me?" Shilo weeped. Graverobber frowned, and he felt the guilt rising even more within him. He took Shilo's virginity. He used her. He did it all for his freedom. And for some reason, he wondered if it was worth it. Even if he didn't want his freedom anymore, he had no choice but to continue this facade because he would be killed if he didn't. Now, all he felt was guilt and regret.

"Am I cursed?" Shilo asked quietly under her sobs. His whole body froze, and he closed his eyes while rubbing Shilo's back in comfort.

"There is nothing wrong with you," he whispered. Shilo shook her head, not believing him. Her whole body trembled from her crying.

"Then why do the people I love leave me?"

Graverobber sighed, and he suddenly carried her in a bridal style. Shilo gasped as she felt her feet got off the floor. Graverobber smirked and walked her up the stairs.

"I think I like it better when you became breathless and called out my name," Graverobber said with a smirk. Shilo seemed astounded by his statement. He couldn't help but chuckle at her expression and gave her a passionate kiss. It took some time before Shilo closed her eyes and reacted to the kiss. And before they both knew it, they made love as they rocked the bed with such intensity.

The next morning, Mia's body had been stolen. The medical examiner had yet to touch her body. Luigi was fully fumed. Pavi was reminded of Lina. Shilo felt her world turning upside down once again.


	34. Chapter 34

**A/N**: I'm banging my head to get these middle parts out. I know how I want my story to end, but the middle parts are just killing me. Thanks to **repogirl1** for the message. I messaged you back. I'm glad to hear more from you again. I also would like to thank **Sombry** (I will promise you I will find a way to have Pavi and Lina together again) and **Emoen** I'm not sure if that is good or bad, but yes, yes it is. Lol) for the reviews. As I continue on, things are starting to be revealed. Last chapter, everyone realizes the real reason why Graverobber is at Shilo's house. If you think thoroughly, there was no reason for Graverobber to come up to Shilo's home even if he needed a place to stay unless it was really necessary. It's a big shocker to reveal it in such a way, but I found it was time to show a small secret of Graverobber's. After all, Graverobber and Shilo only met one night. With children, I think Shilo would be more open up to Graverobber when he came. And of course, Graverobber saved her a few times as well, so that is another reason to welcome him though it was also due to Graverobber they would be in such dangerous situations in the first place. Hope you like this chapter, and please review at any time. Just don't tell me how out of character the characters are or how stupid and overdramatic my story is. I already have those kind of messages. And oh yes, I think someone asked me once what the difference of OC and OOC is. OC when spelled out is "own character or original character", it is a character that a person made up by himself/herself. OOC if spelled out is "out-of-character", it means the characters are not the same as what they are originally intended to be from the movie, books, series, games, etc. they are based upon.

Chapter Thirty Four

Luigi sat on his bed with a far off look on his face. He had a lot of emotions rolling inside him. He felt anger. He felt sad. He felt lost. He felt cold. But most of all, he didn't feel like himself. Something was missing. He needed something good. He needed a bright light. He needed_ her_. He needed Mia.

_His whole body felt like he had been crushed by a big boulder when he saw the lifeless body that used to be Mia Silver laid before him. Her death didn't really sink in until he held her pale, cold body. The way her eyes were closed and how they would never show her beautiful light brown eyes, a shade unlike any other. He did not notice that he unconsciously trailed his fingers on her face to her pale lips. He would rather her hate him than to see her dead body in front of him. No, that would be a lie. He would want neither if allowed._

_He kissed Mia's forehead lightly when he suddenly felt the tears falling from his eyes and onto Mia's face. Before he knew it, he wept wholeheartedly afterwards while holding Mia in his arms. Now, Luigi could feel what Pavi felt when Lina died. It was heartbreaking. Painful. No other word could describe the pain Luigi was feeling now. He felt like his world ended._

_He didn't take long until he cursed like a sailor while rocking Mia's body in his arms. He was not ready for this loss. Not ready to feel this kind of foreign heart ache. His father's death did not give this much pain, not even his mother's. This was of a different heart ache. A pain much worse than the stabs he had gotten throughout his life, much more painful than looking at the scar on his chest in front of the mirror. It was a loss. A loss far greater than he had imagined, and he would never be able to take back what he wanted. He could have everything except the one thing (or person) he wanted more than anything. And he blew it. She wouldn't be there, wouldn't be there in the future, and wouldn't be able to anymore._

His hair, his clothes, and his overall look were a mess. His usual clean room had been in a state of disorder. It was as if a hurricane had suddenly entered the room to cause all of the damage. It was a first for Luigi since he was somewhat of a neat freak. Things had to be spotless and in order. His current situation showed none of that.

_What are you thinking about?_ Mia's voice asked him. He remembered her asking him that once when he was staring off to space. At that time, he answered about how his life seemed different.

"You," Luigi whispered, knowing full well her voice was just his imagination.

"_Isn't it about time you get dressed up?_" Her voice echoes in his mind. He remembered how it was already noon but the both of them were still lying in bed while his arms were around her waist. Her back was to his chest, and he could smell her lovely scent and sweat when they gave each other pleasure.

"There's nothing important to get dressed up for," he answered to the voice quietly once again.

He heard a few knocks against the door and he growled at the person who dared to disrupt his chatting with his lover's voice.

"What is it?" Luigi yelled. He could hear a quivering voice belonging to one of the Genterns. He growled at the annoying stuttering voice, but he didn't have the energy to try to even stab her.

"M-miss Sweet d-demands to s-see you, M-mr. Largo," she answered from the other side loud enough for him to hear.

"I'll be there in twenty! Now fuck off!," he yelled. After that, he could hear her footsteps leaving immediately. He sighed and got up groggily. Just as he entered the shower, he promised silently that he would get Mia's body back and get revenge for her death.

Pavi was too tired to care anymore. Nothing seemed to satisfy him, not even his constant sexual activities. Nothing could fill the void inside him. He wasn't as bad as Luigi, but he was close. And knowing he had to get up from his bed, he begrudgingly stood up and dragged himself to the bathroom.

He looked directly into the mirror, a heavy sigh escaping his lips. Looking at his reflection, he was reminded that he had to live another day without Lina. The painful ache made its way to his heart once again and gut.

When he had finished getting ready, he heard a few knocks on the door. He opened it to reveal a sexy blonde Gentern batting her eyelashes at him. He was tired of the same old routine with these Genterns, but he continued to play his role of humoring their attention.

"Yes, bella?" He asked with a pleasant tone.

"Miss Amber Sweet wants you to go to her office," the Gentern told him before giving him a flirtatious look and giggle.

Pavi smiled and kissed the back of her hand. She let out a girlish giggle once again, making him give her a wink before slapping her butt. She let out a gasp of surprise but giggled again.

"Thank you, bella. The Pavi hopes to see you again," he said and gave her another wink before leaving to Amber's office. The smile on his face immediately turned into a thin line when he turned away from the woman.

Graverobber had woken up with Shilo in his arms. He felt the relief of having her beside him again. The thought of betrayal and his mission temporarily flew out of his mind. He didn't want to dirty the moment with those thoughts when he clearly loved the moment as it was and not as a facade.

He had to remind himself he cannot love. Nothing good comes from having and being in love. Look at all the tragedies and misfortunes that struck when the concept of love comes into play. Even though Shilo told him she loves him, he could not utter it back. Even without words, she knows he loves her while he tries to deny it with his whole being.

When he looked at her again, she looked so innocent and so pure, and he was the one that stained her. Graverobber had to admit, he would rather let it be him who took her virginity than someone who would bruise and hurt her. At first, he was rather surprised at how feisty and lustful Shilo could be during their love-making, but he loved it. He saw a different side of her only he would know. Well, for now anyways. After this whole thing with the rebels and his betrayal was over with, he had hoped Shilo would find a nice guy to spend her whole life with.

At that thought, his stomach felt a sharp pain. He couldn't imagine some guy holding her like he is doing now. He couldn't imagine some guy proceed into her lust-filled needs. This guy would hear her moans and pants. This guy who would fill his spot. This guy who would be taking his Lovebug away from him. And while they have a happier life together, Graverobber would always be in his alleway selling Zydrate. He would have Z-addicts groveling at him like he was a king. He would go back to that life. The life he was so used to before he met Shilo. A life that once filled his boring life. A life before he found some comfort and warmth from Shilo.

Realization hit him hard when he found out he would lose that pure feeling. He would not be welcomed to that warm body of hers and her kindness anymore. He would not be able to have a warm home he could go back to when he needed one. And even if he did have a place to go to, Shilo would not be there to open her arms to him. There, he would not hear the children. There, he would not smell the nice aroma of breakfast in the morning. There, he would find an empty house in an empty street. There, he would be alone, again. He had to admit that it wasn't a great prospective.

And for once, he held Shilo a bit closer and a bit tighter. He committed this moment to memory. He lightly kissed her shoulder, feeling the soft skin against his lips. He could feel her stir against him, and he smiled. For now, he would live for the moment with her. For now, he would pretend he was in love with her. For her sake.

"Brother, the Pavi saw her again. In the Pavi's drunken state a few days ago, the Pavi saw my bella again. She was holding me and crying. She asked me what had happened to me," Pavi stated during their breakfast. "It felt so real as if she was alive. I felt her warm body, and I remembered the faint smell of oranges."

Luigi said nothing, letting Pavi to continue rambling about his dream. There was a moment he wished to be like his brother and dream about Mia in a pleasant way. All he had were nightmares and memories of what he had done to her. He remembered the wretched moment in that old building where she was raped and he planned for it to happen. He had stirred awake every time and had to vomit.

"For fuck's sake, stop talking about that dead slut," Amber Sweet stated angrily. It got on her nerves to see her brothers being sentimental. It sickened her, and she was getting annoyed about it.

Pavi glared at her and stood up from the table and left quietly. Luigi calmly drank his coffee before he got up as well and left, leaving only Amber Sweet at the table with a confused look.

"The Pavi can't do this anymore!" Pavi screamed in frustration. Luigi sat on a chair and watched his younger brother. They were both inside Pavi's room after what Amber Sweet said about Lina.

"Stop being frustrated, Pavi. You sound like me," Luigi said in a calm tone unlike himself. Pavi looked at his brother and sighed.

"And Brother is too calm," Pavi stated in return. Luigi shrugged his shoulders and laid his head on the table.

"Let's go out for a drink. Being cooped up in the building is starting to make me miserable," Luigi said. Pavi smiled brightly and nodded.

"And then when the Pavi gets drunk enough then the Pavi can see the bella again!" Pavi chirped happily. Luigi scowled and glared at his brother.

"Don't be a fucking alcoholic," Luigi scolded.

"The Pavi only wishes to see his bella," Pavi said with a sad smile. Luigi sighed and shook his head.

"Pavi, you need to stop thinking about her. You have to leave her behind," Luigi told him with sympathy in his voice. Pavi glared at his brother at what he told him.

"If Pavi could, then the Pavi would. But I can't! She's everywhere in my mind, in my dreams, just everywhere!" Pavi ran his fingers through his hair in frustration.

"You have dreams of that crazy woman while I have nightmares of Mia. She's always dead in every one of them when I was so close to her. She keeps leaving me that I just can't feel anymore," Luigi stated. He felt his whole body feel unsteady at the thought of the nightmares. The way he had to re-watch different ways of her dying in front of him. He felt like vomitting again.

"Oh Brother," Pavi sounded empathetically to his brother, "How did we become like this?"

"Get ready by tonight. We'll go drink. Maybe I would be lucky enough to either forget everything for one night or at least have a good dream about her," Luigi said with a sigh and stood up to leave. Before he stepped out of Pavi's room, Pavi held his brother's arm.

"The Pavi never knew he loves her so much," Pavi whispered, "What about you, Brother?"

Luigi's eyes turned glassy for a moment before he smiled and nodded. He noticed how Pavi used the present tense of love. He thought back to Mia's smiles and her rare laughs. He thought back to the times where he was able to hold her in his arms and her lovely expression as he did so.

"It's the same for me. Who knew the Largos could love?" Luigi said and then left Pavi's room. He walked steadily into the elevator. But just as the elevator doors closed, Luigi fell to his knees as he grabbed his hair. His breath became unsteady while his eyes closed with a pained expression written on his face.

"Please Mia, just leave me be. Stop haunting me!" He yelled painfully.

"_Is that what you want?_" Mia's voice whispered in his mind.

Luigi shook his head hurriedly and desperately.

"No, no. I'm lying," he whispered to no one.

"_If you are in pain because of me, just let me go_."

"It's not you! Damn it, it was never you. It's me. If I hadn't..." He stopped midsentence and thought back to that miserable moment that parted them. "Fuck, if I went for my gut and heart, then you would be with me right now. But no, I went for my stupidity. And in the end, I'm back to this, whatever it is."

Graverobber sighed as he looked over at Shilo, who was reading her book on the chair. He was on her bed, watching her. He needed a drink. The guilt seemed to be starting to get to him. Watching her, his mind drifted off again.

He noticed how perfect she is. The way her hands were small and pale as her fingers flipped the page of her book. Her lips were the perfect size, small and pink. Her body didn't change as much, but Graverobber didn't mind the way it is. He had to admit she looks beautiful the way she is. Her hair had gotten longer. It looked so soft and silky, and it is. Oh, how he loved to run his fingers through her hair and vice versa. If the sun shone on her at the right angle, she would have been compared to being an angel or maybe a goddess like Aphrodite. That's how beautiful she looked.

Shilo could feel Graverobber staring at her. She couldn't help but smile though she tried to hide it. After a while, she couldn't seem to get back to reading her book. She could see the words, but they weren't connecting. She sighed and laid her book down. She took this chance to look at Graverobber. She noticed how his expression had a far off look on his face. She giggled and shook her head. She loved that look on him. It made him even more handsome, a visual like that of those harlequin romance novels. If the sun had shone on him at the right angle, he would look like Apollo or Adonis from Greek myth. She couldn't help but blush at the thought.

"_I really need to stop reading those romance novels_," Shilo thought.

After a long moment, he finally got out of his dazed state. He noticed Shilo stopped her leisurely reading and saw her napping, her head was on her desk with her hands folded and laid on as a makeshift pillow. She looked so peaceful and beautiful like always. He loved those moments when he's able to watch her as she sleeps. He couldn't believe this little simple moment would make him lust for her. So enticing. So innocent. So her.

He saw a strand of hair in front of her face when she started to move a bit before she stopped and continued her slumber. He smiled at how she softly snored. He knew she must be really tired because she only snores lightly like that when she is too tired. He carefully and delicately put the strand behind her ear. After a while of watching her, he decided to leave the room before she made him more... hard. He really needed a drink.

Emma and the other children had another meeting. Unlike her usual self, Emma's eyes did not gleam with happiness but of pure seriousness. The children who saw her expression stop at their tracks at her grave look.

"Auntie Lina and Mia are dead. I'm afraid that Mommy would be next. We have to protect her," Emma said with determination.

Everyone except Andrew and Animal agreed. Since Andrew was new, he didn't know what was going on and what had ocurred to make everyone reply unanimously. Animal, on the other hand had a different reason to disagree with it.

"Emma, you should let someone like Hero or I to handle this. We've lived our lives as professional assassins. Most of you only barely passed the basics, and some others need to work on it. Not only would you be in danger, you could also get killed," Animal stated logically. Emma glared. It was the first time anyone saw that look on her. It was so unlike her, and it made her look like a complete different person.

"Then teach me! I've lost my real parents before, and I'm not going to risk losing Mommy either. I will protect her in any way I can even if it means if I die in the process," Emma said bravely.

Animal looked over at her for a moment. Emma's bravado had impressed Animal greatly. She nodded with an approving look, understanding that Emma knew the dangers. Of course, Emma had a great deal to learn because Animal had a feeling something will happen in a short time span. She had to teach the young girl as much as possible.

Nate was astounded at Emma's boldness. She was usually a cheerful girl. And for him to see this whole new part of her, it made him shocked into speechlessness. He had a newfound respect for Emma. The way she could change her demeanor at times when needed was a talent in itself. And for some reason, he found an attachment to the young girl after his mourning from Lina's death.

"I would like for you to teach me as well, Animal. I want to be able to protect everyone I care about," Nate stated and looked over at Emma as he did. Emma, on the other hand, did not notice. She was actually preoccupied in getting mentally ready for the hardship in the training she would receive. She knew, without a doubt, that her body will be sore and that giving up could not be an option.

Animal nodded again. Nate seemed level-headed and she heard Lina already taught him some basics. And from watching him so far, he was a quick learner. It only took him once or twice to get a handle of things. Emma did not have the natural talent to learn as quickly as Nate, but she did take the whole day in perfecting the moves. She only took breaks when Shilo was close, not wanting her to know the secretive lessons that the children were having. Animal knew Emma would not be as good, but she could see the hard work she put in. All Animal needed to know is what kind of weapons would benefit these two.

"If you are both are sure, then I will teach you. But you must know, you will have blood stained on your hands if you take up this responsibility," Animal told the two. The other children watched and waited to see their answers.

Nate nodded right away. He knew the responsibility, but he wondered if he could handle it. The only way he would know would be from the circumstances in which he had to. But right now, he was worried about Emma. He did not like the thought of her killing someone, but he was determined to protect her from doing so.

Emma, on the other hand, had not seem to be dettered by it. She actually knew taking up the responsibility meant that she would kill. She knew the consequences and she much preferred to avoid violence but protecting Shilo and everyone else was more important to her. Even in her young age, she found herself unafraid of the thought of death. Actually, she had thought about dying many times after days of her parents' deaths. Suicide would come now and again in her mind when she sometimes hid her depression over her joyful facade. Nobody would know of her dark clouded side of hers, not even Shilo knew because she always hid herself well.

"This is my family," Emma said and looked to the rest of the children, "To protect them is what I want most."

Tom decided to enter the conversation as well, finding himself not wanting to be defeated by Nate. For some odd reason, Tom didn't like to lose against Nate. And by the way Emma sounded so mature, he could not just do nothing. It was time he also was serious and take up the responsibility in his ten years of age.

"I would like to train with them," Tom said. Animal looked at him for a moment but shook her head.

"No. I will only train Emma and Nate," Animal said without hesitation. Tom was surprised and was about to argue with her, but Emma put a hand on his shoulder. Tom frowned and calmed down. He then looked back at Animal.

"Why not?" Tom asked.

"Because you are impatient. You have a tendency to be frustrated easily. You may have easily died by the hands of a killer before you could even touch him or her," Animal calmly explained. Tom scrunched his brows in anger and was about to disagree. But before he could, Emma spoke up once again.

"Tom, please. If Animal does not want to teach you, do not force her," Emma said calmly. Tom folded his arms before he just huffed and walked away to where Arielle was.

"Well, well, well. This looks intriguing," said the energetic Andrew. His eyes bright at the thought of something interesting about to happen. He seemed to get the gist of what was happening. Of course, he was afraid to be in a dangerous dispute, but a part of him also found it thrilling.

Animal glared at him.

"What do you want?" Animal asked with irritation evident in her voice.

"Ah, I would like to learn some skills as well. Better to be knowledgeable than none at all," he said cheerfully.

Tom took a step forward then and was about to speak, but Arielle held him back. Tom turned to look at her questioningly but Arielle shook her head.

"You can't force Animal to teach you," Arielle reminded him in a whisper. Tom sighed with frustration and took a step back, mumbling incoherent words under his breath.

"No," Animal replied immediately to Andrew.

Andrew sighed and he purposefully put an arm on her shoulder. Animal could feel her irritation level rising for this strange boy. She did not like his close proximity to her, and she definitely did not like him touching her.

She easily pushed his arm off her shoulder and glared at the boy. Andrew couldn't help but give a smile to her. His smile that held such mischievous in them that Animal surely found him as an annoying pest. He seemed to have the skill to annoy her even by doing something that shouldn't have bothered Animal.

"But my lady, you won't leave a lad to become defenseless when his life is in danger, would you?" He asked with those pleading puppy-eyed look.

"Disgusting," she stated at his begging, "And yes, I would."

"Yes, I am quite disgustingly adorable," he said, rearranging her words.

Animal sneered, but she relented when Andrew became too persistent. She had to admit he seemed quick in the head and slightly patient, a good combination of traits for fighting. And later on, she also found he was quick on his toes. His speed and agility were more qualified than she first thought. His only downfall was that she felt like beating him every time he speaks. Her spartan training made up for that because he was sore everywhere. But unfortunately for Animal, his upbeat attitude didn't falter.

At night, a shadowy figure lurked in the dark alley near a pub. Suddenly, another figure came behind the first and laid a hand on his or her shoulder. The shadowy figure turned and looked at the second figure.

"Why are you here? You were supposed to stay hidden," the second asked the first. The voice was manly, so this was supposedly a man. The first sighed and shook his or her head.

"I need to watch over someone, and I promised a friend I would watch over her lover as well," said the first shadowy figure. This one had a female voice and it would be presumed she was a woman.

"You need to stay hidden though," the second told her in a whisper, "You can't be seen!"

"No one will know," the first said calmly, "I haven't been found out for a while now."

The second sighed and shook his head.

"You are going to endanger the plan. We can't risk making any mistakes," he said to her. The first chuckled, amused by his words.

"I'm not risking those two from getting hurt or getting killed off," she said stubbornly. The guy sighed once again.

"Whatever you say. Just stay undercover and don't get yourself killed as well," the man said.

"Yeah, whatever _I_ say," she stated in a cocky attitude though with amusement in her voice. The man chuckled.

"Well, if you made precautions then I will try not to worry. I have to go now since you seemed determined to do this," he said and the woman nodded. He bid his farewell and she returned it with her own. When he left, the woman sighed.

But then another figure came, the woman became frustrated when she knew who it was. She sighed and shook her head.

"What are you doing here?" the woman asked. The newest figure calmly stood beside her.

"The same as you," the newest figure said in a womanly voice.

The first figure shook her head.

"You don't know how to fight. How are you supposed to protect them?" The first asked.

"I'm not here to protect them. I'm sure you know why I'm here," the newest figure stated calmly. She looked over to the first figure and laid a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure this is as difficult for you as it is difficult for me."

"It's a pain in the ass, but I've got to protect them," she said before rubbing her stomach with care. A smile seemed to be placed on her lips. "After all of this is over, I'm going to kick his ass for making me pregnant. Well, if the news that I'm being pregnant with his child didn't kill him first." She chuckled at the thought. The other shadowy figure let out a small smile as well.


	35. Chapter 35

**A/N**: Sorry for the long hiatus and sorry if it's short. I'm sure that not that much people read Repo fics. But if any of you continue to read this story, thank you so much. I've got a lot of stories going on, and I need to study for my exams so I won't be updating as much. Wow, most of everyone thinks the two shadows are Mia and Lina, but I'm sure you find out soon enough. Well, here's the chapter. Thank you to all the reviewers for reviewing and the readers for reading. I'm sorry I couldn't thank you guys individually, but I hope next time I could. Well, thanks and happy reading. **Disclaimer**: I do not own "Needle Through A Bug". It belongs to its rightful owner. I did not put the complete song, but I thought it would be nice to get some lyrics from Repo in there.

Chapter Thirty Five

Luigi and Pavi sat on the high stools at the bar. There were whispers all around the bar, but the brothers did not care, only relishing the alcohol they ordered for themselves. There was a tranquil silence between them. There was nothing else to say, and they pretty much did not want to talk. To think, these powerful brothers of Sanitarium Island would be going to a rundown bar to wallow in their losses.

"Brother," Pavi started, his eyes staring only at his glass.

"What?" Luigi angrily spat, finding his sanity slowly slipping away from him due to the alcohol.

"It's around this time that I will see my bella," he said happily though his words were slurred. Luigi scoffed and downed his drink and asked for another. The bartender gave him another round of whatever Luigi ordered.

"Yeah, and maybe I might be greeted with my own bella," he said sarcastically. Pavi gave him a glare before downing his own. He felt his mind getting fuzzy.

"_Soon. My bella would come soon_," Pavi thought happily. After a while, his bella had not appeared. He felt his hope deterioriating. The incredible feeling he once had turned into depression and loneliness, like he was suffocating. He wanted his bella. He wanted to see her.

"No, she should come. She's supposed to come!" Pavi yelled frantically, causing Luigi to stare at Pavi in surprise. Pavi was causing a scene, and Luigi noticed how he looked crazed.

"Brother, what's wrong with you?" Luigi asked, reaching towards his brother. Pavi looked up and slapped his hand away.

"Don't touch me! I want my bella! Where are you bella? Come to me. Come to the Pavi," Pavi cried.

"Fuck! Stop making a scene," Luigi yelled, snatching Pavi by his arm, but Pavi wouldn't let him without a fight.

Pavi flailed his arms wildly. He felt himself lost into the depths of his dispair. Luigi had gotten hit by the back of Pavi's hand when Luigi tried to hold both his wrists. Suddenly, he was thrusted back by a masked figure wearing black. Luigi's body hit against the hardened floor. He looked up to see the figure looking down on him. He was held by the neck gruffly before being pulled up.

"I'll be taking your brother, Largo," said the figure. The voice sounded feminine, yet it was somewhat computerized. Luigi growled and started struggling, but the figure was relentless. The feeling somewhat felt familiar to him, but he couldn't remember where and who.

"What do you want from him?" Luigi asked with a scowl.

"Tch. It's for me to know and you to find out," she told him before kicking Luigi in the stomach, making him groan and fell over holding his stomach. It seemed everyone in the bar had already left by that point.

"You bastard!" Luigi spat, but the figure laughed a hollow mechanical laugh.

"You deserve it," she said so coldly. Another figure suddenly appeared, holding onto her arm.

"Let him go," the other spoke. This one also sounded feminine and also had her voice computerized. This one though had sounded more robotic than the first.

The first figure clicked her tongue in annoyance before letting Luigi go. She kicked him one more time but the second figure crossed her arms toward the first figure before shaking her hidden head. The second looked to Lugi and knelt beside him.

"Do not worry. We will send your brother back safely," she said before reaching her hand towards Luigi. Luigi backed away, making the second figure's hand retract. She sighed but yet reached his face again. The mere touch of her warm hand against his cheek made Luigi relax. For a moment, he thought he felt Mia touching him but he knew it wasn't. She was dead. But for now, he closed his eyes and let the warmth of her hand fill him.

She retracted her hand when she felt him rubbing his cheek against her hand. The second figure stood up, making Luigi open his eyes and look up at her. The yearning inside Luigi stirred and he suddenly stood up and reached towards her. He needed this. He needed the warmth to envelope him until he burned, so he wrapped his arms around her tightly but not enough to harm her. His nostrils were filled with the second figure's scent. The perfume was overpowering unlike Mia's subtle scent, yet he found himself not able to dislike it for some reason.

"Mia," he whispered unknowingly. The second figure suddenly pulled away from him, yet Luigi wouldn't let her go.

The second figure looked over to the first figure.

"You leave with Paviche Largo. I will deal with this one," the second figure said to the first. The first figure sighed and nodded before supporting Pavi's side as she dragged him. Pavi seemed to be holding onto her with all of his strength for some unknown reason, muttering 'my bella' and 'I miss you, bella'. He had settled down when the first figure was struggling with Luigi.

"Take care," the first told the second before leaving the bar with Pavi.

The second figure looked over to Luigi. She faintly sighed before hugging Luigi in return. Luigi smiled for the first time in a long time. The feeling of having her with him gave him an overpowering sensation inside him, making him feel alive again. He looked over to the female and smiled. Even though her face was covered, he thought he saw Mia under the black mask she wore. And it was at that time, he kissed her where he thought her lips were.

The first figure grunted at the tight grasp Pavi had on her. Pavi giggled and looked up to the masked figure with a big smile. He trailed his fingers on her mask. He then started to lick at her neck, making the figure shiver.

"Hey, stop that!" The figure growled. She could feel his lips against her neck, giving her feather-like kisses.

"No. No. No," Pavi whispered, kissing after every 'no' he voiced.

"I'm going to let you go," she announced in a serious tone. Pavi stopped and shook his head against her neck, fear emitting from his facial expression.

"No. Don't. Don't leave the Pavi. Don't leave the Pavi again," he cried. The figure looked over at him before rubbing her belly.

"Then you'd better stop it," the figure said, "I'm sure you don't want to touch a pregnant woman."

Pavi's eyes widened before he rubbed his hand against her belly. He smiled and started to lower his head and kissed her belly lightly. The figure pushed him away, making Pavi fall to the ground. But for some reason, he did not mind. He smiled brightly and crawled to the figure. He held her around her stomach and rubbed the side of his face against her belly.

"Our baby," Pavi whispered. His eyes closed as he held her a little tighter.

"You idiot, what are you doing?" the female said angrily. He seemed to ignore the statement and continued on, rubbing himself against her belly.

"We made a bambino (baby), mia bella," Pavi stated with happiness.

"Let. Me. Go," she said harshly. He continued to ignore her.

"What should we name our bambino?" Pavi asked, looking up at her with a gleaming expression. She sighed before pulling him away. Pavi's eye's widened in surprise. He tried to hold onto her as tightly as he could, but she pulled away from him easily because of his drunken state.

"No!" Pavi yelled. She looked at him momentarily before arms held Pavi back. Pavi struggled against the arms, but his eyes only stayed on the woman. She took a step back, and Pavi became more frantic as he flailed his arms around and about like a crazed man, shouting out for the woman he thought is Lina.

"Guys, take him to headquarters. I'll meet you guys there soon," the woman said and the men holding Pavi back nodded to her orders. They were dragging him away from the woman, but Pavi continued to struggle with all his might. Tears falling from his eyes as he watched the woman turned around and walked away into the darkness.

"No!" Pavi shouted, "Let go! Bella, don't go! I'm sorry! Pavi'll be good! Bella!"

Pavi fell down to his knees and weeped. It was supposed to be a happy reunion like all the other times. It was supposed to be a happy moment. But why? Why did this time have to be different? This wasn't supposed to be a nightmare for him. It was his only time for him to be truly happy, and it was taken away from him. Why? That was his last thought before they put him to sleep.

The second figure looked over at Luigi. She sighed and pushed him away. The moment was ruined and Luigi gazed upon the figure to see not Mia but a masked figure. His heart had been crushed to see a false hope.

"Fuck! Who are you?" Luigi yelled, "Where did you fucking take my brother?"

She sighed and said, "He'll be safe. Paviche Largo is unstable, and we'll take him home when he gets better."

"It's time to go," said the first figure when she entered back into the bar. The second figure looked over at the first before looking back to Luigi Largo.

"Goodbye, Luigi Largo. Hopefully, this is the last you see of us," the second told him before leaving with the second figure. Luigi did nothing but watch them leave. And as they disappeared, he fell to his knees.

"Mia. I miss you. I miss you so much," he quietly cried to himself.

"Fuck!" He yelled. He repeated the word over and over until he got tired. "I fucking love you! I fucking love you so much that I can't breathe."

Shilo looked over a paper she read. Tears started pouring from her eyes as she scrunched the paper up. She looked so broken, but she shook her head and wiped her tears away.

"I can't. I have to be strong," Shilo whispered to herself. She had put the paper through a shredder, watching as the paper torn into pieces.

She heard a voice through the intercom outside her house, calling for her. She hurriedly went down the stairs and looked out the window through the door. She gasped to see men in black trying to get through her home. She saw a person sizzling against the metal gate. She looked like she was about ready to vomit at the sight. She hurriedly ran to the children's room with a worried look. She saw the children having fun with Graverobber, but she frowned. Her heart beating against her chest watching the scene.

"Children," Shilo stated, her voice shivering yet demanding at the same time. The children turned to see Shilo shaking. Graverobber looked worried and started coming near, but Shilo signaled him to not come near her. He looked confused but followed her silent order.

"I want you all go in the back of the fireplace, okay? There are some men who are trying to get to the house, and I want you all to be safely inside," Shilo said, almost choking behind her words because of the fear emitting inside her.

Animal and Nate were about to speak, but Shilo stopped them.

"No, you two shall stay with the children and keep them safe. Please, do this for me. I know what all of you were doing behind my back. But as much as I'm happy that you care for me that much, I cannot handle losing any of you, okay? Animal, please, I order you to watch over the children and keep them inside the back of the fireplace until it's safe, okay?" Shilo ordered. Animal scrunched her hands into fists but nodded.

"No!" Emma yelled, watching the scene. "Mama, I won't let you. I can't lose you. I just can't." Emma cried, and the children were confused as to what to do. They wanted to protect Shilo, but they had to follow her orders as well.

Shilo then looked over to Graverobber with saddened eyes as if she wanted to say something to Graverobber yet couldn't.

"Go," ordered Shilo to the children before she left upstairs to get the triplets. Graverobber had to pull some of the children to the back of the fireplace because of their resistance, but he had done so successfully because of Animal. She had knocked them unconscious, following Shilo's orders. Animal disliked it, but she had no choice. After all, most of her life was to follow orders, and following the orders she did.

Shilo carried the triplets into the back of the fireplace and laid them down on the cool metal table. She looked at the crying triplets to all the other children. Her tears escaped her eyes as it fell down from her cheek to her chin and onto the floor.

"I love you all, my sweet little family," Shilo stated before looking over to Animal, Andrew, Hero and Nate. "Please take care of them. Protect them."

Animal, Hero, and Nate nodded, knowing they had no choice but to follow orders. They wanted to go against her wishes, but they knew they had to follow her orders. Andrew couldn't believe it. He had just gotten here and already his bad luck streak hit him hard once again. Shilo hugged each of the older ones and then to Arielle who was crying her heart out. She kissed the younger ones on top of the head. She looked at all the children one more time before turning back to the exit and left, closing the fireplace to keep them safe.

Graverobber stood next to the fireplace and he looked guilty. Shilo knew, and it hurt her so much.

"I trusted you, Graverobber. I trusted you!" She yelled. Graverobber's throat clogged, and he couldn't speak. He was about to hug her, but she swatted his hand away.

"Why? Why did you betray me?" Shilo asked.

"I-I-" He could only say. The words were hidden under his throat.

Shilo's tears fell like a rain falling from the clouds. She touched his face and shook her head.

"I loved you. I believed in you. Yet... yet you betrayed me," She said, choking from the sobs preventing her to speak.

"I'm sorry, Lo- Shilo," he whispered. The only coherent words he can say. She let her hands fall from his face.

"You owe me, Graverobber. You owe me!" Shilo yelled. Her lips quivered before stepping back from him. Graverobber's eyes widened at watching Shilo looking at him with a hurt look. An expression he did not want to see. He had to look away as the guilt ate him up.

"Remember our promise to protect them and take them to the one person I know they will be safe with. Remember the code word," Shilo stated before looking out the door. The men in black continued to find ways to get through, and she wonders if they are that stupid.

"I-I will," he whispered, snapping Shilo's attention back to him. "How did you know? How did you know I betrayed you?"

Shilo chuckles coldly before looking out at the door again. She was disgusted at the charred bodies as the men tried to break through the barrier. Graverobber had never felt so much fear and guilt in his life than he did now.

"Someone revealed it to me," Shilo whispered, "It seemed Amber Sweet had been impatient and wanted me dead, and you knew. You were an insider sent by Amber Sweet to see if I'm one of the rebels or the leader of the rebels."

Graverobber had been caught, but he hated the fact that he was revealed in this way. He didn't even know about those men out there until he had gotten word from Amber Sweet that she was taking her down today. He hated it. He hated Amber Sweet. He hated how he had to be in this situation. He hated how Shilo knew of his betrayal. And what hurt him the most was to watch Shilo giving him the hurt look of being betrayed by him.

"I- I'm sorry," he apologized again. Shilo shook her head and laughed a cold laugh. Graverobber had to wince at the sound. The sound of a broken-hearted young woman.

"Is that all you have to say? That you are sorry?" Shilo asked, the pain deeply etched in her heart but she sighed and shook her head again as if fighting within herself. "It's too late to apologize, Graverobber. It's just too late. You broke my heart. You pulled it from out of my chest and stepped on it as if it was trash. I shouldn't have trusted you. Shouldn't have loved you. But I don't blame you. I blame myself. I blame myself for believing you. I blame myself for loving you. I blame myself for thinking that something was going right in my life, but I finally opened my eyes. I finally see that nothing lasts. I would be forever cursed until the day I die."

She walked up to the security system, ready to punch in the code.

"You're free, Graverobber. I can't blame you for seeking your freedom. But I just want you to know, I hope you are happy. Hope you find some form of happiness even if it wouldn't be with me," Shilo said, looking back at Graverobber who stood stock still as if he was frozen at the spot. Shilo gave him a sad smile. "I forgive you."

She punched in the numbers and turned back to him.

"Take care, Graverobber. Remember the promise you made me," she said before the door had been thrusted open and the men pulled her away. Graverobber watched as they manhandled her. He growled and pulled one of the men in black.

"Don't hurt her," he told not only to the man but to the rest of the them. The man he held scoffed and swatted him away. He watched as they continued to push and shove her. It angered him when they ignored him, but he knew this would happen. He watched as they took her away, and he knew then he made a grave mistake.

He lost her, he realized. He had sent her to her death. He was the reason Shilo lost everything. He was the reason Shilo would die. He was the reason the children will have to live without Shilo. He was the reason he broke his own heart.

He was the reason he lost the only family he ever had.

And in the end, he never knew he loved her so much. Until then. Until she's gone.

And then he heard it. A gunshot. He looked outside to see Shilo's blood pouring onto the ground as they dragged her by her hair. Graverobber watched in shock as the men threw her body as if it was nothing. Right in front of him. And he only watched. Did nothing as they drove away.

He fell to his knees and looked at the blood trail. Her blood. Shilo's blood. His Lovebug's blood.

"She's gone," Graverobber whispered. "Lovebug is dead. No. She wasn't supposed to... No!"

Graverobber shook his head in denial and then anger suddenly erupted inside him.

"Amber Sweet! You bitch!" Graverobber yelled and then he few tears trailed down from his eyes for the first time. And he remembered the moment, the moment she caught a firefly. He remembered the first time he betrayed her as he hung upside down.

_Shilo: No, it's like a night light._

_Graverobber: Oh, it's like a night light._

_Graverobber: You're beautiful. It's easy._

_Shilo: You don't mean- _

_Graverobber: Yeah_

_Shilo: For me to-_

_Shilo: I don't think-_

_Graverobber: Don't think._

_Shilo: That I can-_

_Graverobber: Smack it._

Graverobber chuckled emptily with his tears falling from his eyes.

"I smacked it, all right," he told himself, "I emptied my 'Zydrate' until it's all gone. My 'Zydrate' is gone, and it's never coming back."

_She's gone, and she's never coming back. Shilo's gone, and she's never coming back. Lovebug's gone, and she's never coming back. She's never coming back. Never._

_Never._


	36. Chapter 36

**A/N**: Well, this is the last chapter for this sequel. I will be making a triquel which would just be a continuation of this chapter. I apologize for taking forever to update, but here it is! Thanks for all the reviews!

Chapter Thirty-Six

The masked woman sighed and sat lazily on the chair. Her eyes staring up at the dark ceiling. She wiped away her tired eyes and sighed once again before leaning over and rested her head on a long dining table made for twelve people. She let herself close her eyes before she felt her stomach grumbling. She groaned but felt a presence near her as the person set down something in front of the woman with a slight clank. The woman looked before her to see a bowl of chicken noodle soup. She looked over to her left to see her partner, who is also wearing a mask.

"How did it go with that guy?" The one resting her head asked.

"Not well. I never thought he would react the way he did," she answered. The first chuckled dryly and shook her head.

"I never thought Paviche Largo would react like that either, which surprised me," the first said to the second.

The second let out a sigh and then looked over at her partner.

"Enough about them and eat. After all, you are pregnant," The second stated. The first sighed and sat up before pushing it forwards towards herself. She picked up the spoon and sipped on the soup.

"Have you remembered anything at all?" The second asked. The first stopped drinking her soup and looked towards the second. The first shook her head and sighed.

"I can't remember at all, but something about Paviche Largo seems to be familiar to me. I just don't know why. What about you?" The first asked the second in return.

The second looked up at the ceiling for a moment and then looked to the first.

"Unfortunately, I remember everything, yet I wish I didn't." The second stood up and walked away.

The first watched for a moment before she herself sighed and looked at the ceiling. She felt as if her whole being was just an empty shell except for the baby growing inside of her. It was her only reason to feel anything. And with that, she softly smiled.

Paviche Largo sat on the small chair with ropes binding him against it. He started stirring and groaned. He could feel all sorts of aches and he had a hangover from last night. He was about to ease his headache by wanting to massage it with his hand, but he couldn't move his arms. Not understanding why, he opened his eyes to find out. He blinked several times from some sort of bright light hitting his eyes. When his eyes adjusted to the light, he looked around. It was dark and gray in this room. There was one door and one window. Both on opposite sides to each other. There was a long brown table before him. In a way, it looked like one of those interrogation rooms. Pavi's eyes widened, knowing full well this was not his room. He looked around frantically and was about to stand up but found himself being strapped. He looked down to see he was tied to a chair. He gaped and wondered how he had gotten into this situation.

He tried to think about last night and then his eyes widened. He remembered Lina. She was alive, and he was holding her. He was able to touch her and smell her. She felt so real, so alive. He finally had his wish come true to have her in his arms again. But then, someone pulled him away from her. He cried out Lina's name but Lina was getting far from his grasp.

Anger hit him quickly. They took him away from his lover. He had her. She was with him. How could this have happened?

Suddenly, the door to the room creaked open. A person wearing a mask walked into the room. Pavi gulped. He realized he had been kidnapped, and he did not know why.

"See you are awake, Paviche Largo?" The person asked. Pavi looked to her. Her voice, it sounded so much like his Lina, his beloved bella. Though he would like to hear more of her voice, he had pressing matters to concern about.

"What do you want with the Pavi?" Pavi asked, his voice shaking as he spoke. He could not see the woman's facial expression with the mask in the way.

The woman sighed before she walked near him and took out a dagger. Pavi's eyes widened and his heart quickened by the scare. Before he could utter a word, she started closing in on him with her dagger.

"S-stop! Don't hurt the Pavi! If you need the money, the Pavi has a way to give it to you," Pavi stuttered out of fright. His body shivered, the fear of being killed etched into his mind. He was a coward. He didn't want to die even if he wanted to be with his lover. Lina's face flashed into his mind. And before he knew it, he could move his arms again. He looked to the side to see the woman standing up and sitting on the chair in front of him.

"Relax, idiot. I won't kill you," The woman said. Pavi's eyes widened at her statement. Her words. And that voice. Combined together. They sounded just like Lina's as if she is Lina, herself. He stood up and bent over to the table as his hand reached over to her mask. But before he could touch it, the woman caught his hand with her own and squeezed. Pavi screamed in pain before she let go immediately. Pavi grasped his hand and moaned in pain.

"Never try to touch my mask or even touch me, you got that?" The masked woman demanded. Pavi silently nodded, his lips quivering from the pain.

Strong. Just like his Lina's. His thoughts raced through his mind. Is that woman really his bella? Was Lina really alive? Pavi needed to know if it was really her. He didn't want his hope to end up being a false one and crush his heart even further.

Looking at her, his heart started to beat hard and fast against his chest. He couldn't help but hope. He wanted to know. He wanted to see. He wanted to take off that mask and see the bella he ever so loved and missed in front of him. Determined, he hoped that mask would fall.

"What is your name, bella?" Pavi asked.

"Bella? How did you-?" The masked woman stopped speaking suddenly and stood up quickly. She mumbled to herself and the only thing Pavi heard was something about forgetting to activate something. He wondered what she was talking about.

"Are you okay, bella?" He was about to reach out to her but stopped when she spoke.

"I can't take you home anymore," the masked woman told him in a deadly serious tone, "You know what my voice sounds like, and I can't let you go free anymore."

Pavi froze and he looked at the woman in astonishment. He couldn't believe what he heard. Just because he heard her voice, she was going to imprison him in this... place? What kind of situation did he get into?

[End?]


End file.
